Determination of ascorbyl dipalmitate in cosmetic whitening powders by liquid chromatography

A reversed-phase column liquid chromatograpic method was developed for the assay of ascorbyl dipalmitate in whitening powders. The linear calibration range was 0.1-0.7 mg/ml (r = 0.9999), and recoveries were generally greater than 98.8%. The coefficient of variation was less than 0.64%. The method has been applied to whitening powders produced by four different cosmetics companies. The assay results were compared with those obtained from a sodium hydroxide titration assay of ascorbyl dipalmitate in commercial whitening powders. The method can be successfully used for routine quality control and offers advantages in speed, simplicity and reliability.