Retinyl Palmitate vs. Retinyl Acetate
Among 6,056 on-market vitamin a products with an identifiable primary form, 26.5% use Retinyl Palmitate (1,604 products) and 10.2% use Retinyl Acetate (619).
| Retinyl Palmitate | Retinyl Acetate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 1 | Tier 1 |
| Vitamin A by weight | — | — |
| Share of market | 26.5% | 10.2% |
| On-market products | 1,604 | 619 |
| Median declared dose | 720 mcg RAE middle half: 368.13–1,350 | 750 mcg RAE middle half: 500–1,200 |
| Most common brands | vitafusion, DC, L'il Critters | Airborne, Justified Laboratories, Nature Made |
Doses are declared per serving in mcg RAE. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why Retinyl Palmitate is tier 1
Preformed retinyl esters are efficiently and near-completely hydrolyzed to retinol during absorption, so the RAE conversion is a direct 1:1 with retinol by definition.
Source: NIH ODS Vitamin A fact sheet RAE table
Why Retinyl Acetate is tier 1
Same as retinyl palmitate -- a preformed retinol ester with 1:1 RAE conversion.
Source: NIH ODS Vitamin A fact sheet RAE table
Tiers summarize published comparative bioavailability or outcome evidence for each form (see methodology).
This page describes the market; it is not a recommendation to take either form. Talk to a clinician about what's right for you.