Betaine
Humectant · INCI: Betaine
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Not a pore-clogger. Considered safe for acne-prone skin.
Is Betaine comedogenic?
No. Betaine isn't considered pore-clogging, and we read it as safe to use on acne-prone skin. That doesn't make it right for everyone, but congestion isn't the thing to watch for with it.
Why we read it this way
Betaine is a humectant usually sourced from sugar beets, an amino acid derivative that helps skin hold on to water. Formulators also use it to make a product feel silkier and less sticky, and to soften the effect of cleansing agents. We read it as not pore-clogging.
The nuance
It is easy to confuse with Cocamidopropyl Betaine, a foaming cleanser ingredient, and Betaine Salicylate, an exfoliating ingredient. They share part of a name but do different jobs, and each is its own line on a label.
Where it shows up
Gel cleansers, face washes, toners and light hydrating serums. It is a regular on shampoo, conditioner and sheet mask labels.
Related ingredients
One ingredient rarely tells the whole story. The acne ingredient checker reads everything in a product at once, and there is more on what comedogenic means. Also in the guides: What acne actually is.