List of Suspect Comedogenic Ingredients in Skincare

Will That Make Me Break Out?

Comedogenic Ingredients are found in all sorts of skin care and can be problematic for acne-prone skin.

Note that I said "problematic" not disastrous.

JUST BECAUSE AN INGREDIENT IS ON THIS LIST DOESN'T MEAN IT'S BAD!

It means it -may- cause a problem:

  • if you are acne prone.
  • if you are sensitive to that ingredient.
  • if a product contains 2 or more of these ingredients.
  • if you aren't using suitable acids to keep your skin clear
  • If you use the product frequently.

To be clear, if you ARE sensitive, even short-term exposure to just one of these ingredients can trigger breakouts.

This list of common comedogenic ingredients is always evolving, so check back regularly.

clear glass apothecary bottles with natural ingredients

Butters

Aloe Butter

Anise Butter

Avocado Butter

Babassu Butter

Broccoli Butter

Capsicum Butter

Carrot Butter

Chamomile Butter

Cinnamon Butter

Cocoa Butter

Coconut Butter

Coffee Butter

Cranberry Butter

Cypress Butter

Ginger Butter

Grapeseed Butter

Green Tea Butter

Hemp Seed Butter

Jasmine Butter

Jojoba Butter

Kokum Butter

Kukui Nut Butter

Lavender Butter

Lemon Butter

Lemongrass Butter

Lime Butter

Macadamia Nut Butter

Mandarin Butter

Mango Butter

Marigold Butter

Meadowfoam Butter

Neem Butter

Neroli Butter

Olive Butter

Orange Peel Butter

Palm Oil Butter

Rose Butter

Rosehip Butter

Rosemary Butter

Sal Butter

Shea Butter

Sunflower Butter

Sweet Almond Butter

Tamanu Butter

Vitamin E Butter

Waxes

 

Beeswax

Butyl Stearate

Ceteareth-6 Olivate

Ceteareth 20

Cetearyl Olivate

Cetyl Acetate

Glyceryl Stearate SE

Isocetyl alcohol

Isopropyl Myristate

Jojoba wax

Laureth 4

Laureth -7

Laureth -23

Lauryl Olivate

Myristyl alcohol

Oleth-3

Oleth-5

Oleth-10

Oleth-20

Oleyl alcohol

PEG-7 Esters

PEG-8 Stearate

PEG 100 Distearate

PEG-200 Dilaurate

PEG-150 Distearate

PG Monostearate

Polyglyceryl-Diisostearate

Sorbitan Oleate

Sorbitan Olivate

Steareth-2

Steareth-10

Steareth-20

Stearyl Alcohol

Tribehenin

Oils

Apricot Kernal Oil

Argan Oil

Avocado Oil

Baobab Oil

Coconut Oil

Cotton Seed Oil

Grapeseed oil

Hazelnut Seed Oil

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Kukui Nut Oil

Macadamia Nut Oil

Marula Oil

Mink Oil

Neem Oil

Olive Oil

Palm Kernel Oil

Palm Oil

Peach Kernel Oil

Peanut Oil

Rice Bran Oil

Sesame Oil

Shark Liver Oil

Soybean Oil

Sweet Almond Oil

Tamanu Oil

Colorants

D & C Red #2

D & C Red #3

D & C Red #4

D & C Red #6

D & C Red #7

D & C Red #9

D & C Red #17

D & C Red #19

D & C Red #21

Other Ingredients/ Miscellaneous

Acetylated Lanolyn Alcohol

Algae Extract

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Brown Algae

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Capric Acid

Carrageenan

Chlorella

Decyl Oleate

Dioctyl Malate Di (2 Ethylhexyl) Succinate

Dioctyl Succinate

Eicosanoic Acid

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Ethylhexyl Pelargonate

Glyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Glyceryl Stearate SE

Green Algae

Hexylene Glycol

Hexyl Laurate

Irish Moss

Isocetyl Alcohol

Isodecyl Oleate

Isopropyl Isostearate

Isopropyl Linoleate

Isopropyl Myristate

Isopropyl Palmitate

Isostearyl Isostearate

Isostearyl Neopentanoate

Kelp

Laminaria

Laneth-10

Lanolin

Lanolin Oil

Lauric Acid

Myristic Acid

Myristyl Alcohol

Myristyl Lactate

Myristyl Myristate

Oleth-3 Phosphate

PEG-16

Pentaerythrital Tetraisostearate

PG Caprylate / Caprate

PG Dipelargonate

Polyglyceryl 3 Diisostearate

Polyglyceryl 4 Isostearate

PPG 2 Myristyl Propionate

PPG 5 Ceteth 10 Phosphate

PPG 10 Cetyl Ether

PPG 12 Peg 65

Phytantriol

Red Algae

Sea Grass

Sodium Carbomer

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Sorbitan Laurate

Sorbitan Oleate

Spirulina

Squalene (Squalane is ok)

Stearic Acid

Stearic Acid TEA

Stearyl Heptanoate

Sulfated Jojoba Oil

Tocopherol (Tocopherol acetate is ok)

Triethanolamine

Vitamin A Palmitate

Water-soluble Sulfur

Xylene