Cetyl Acetate
Emollient ester · INCI: Cetyl Acetate
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Known to clog pores. If you break out easily, this is the one to skip.
Is Cetyl Acetate comedogenic?
Yes. Cetyl Acetate is a known pore-clogging ingredient, and we read it as highly comedogenic. If you're acne-prone, it's worth avoiding, especially when it sits near the top of an ingredient list.
Why we read it this way
An emollient ester often paired with acetylated lanolin alcohol. It's listed as pore-clogging across the acne-safe references we checked.
The nuance
Most relevant in richer leave-on creams; effect can depend on how much is used.
Names we read the same way
- 1-Acetoxyhexadecane
- 1-Hexadecanol Acetate
- Hexadecanol Acetate
- Palmityl Acetate
Related ingredients
One ingredient rarely tells the whole story. The acne ingredient checker reads everything in a product at once, the pore-clogging ingredients list has the rest of what we flag, and there is more on what comedogenic means. Also in the guides: The types of acne lesions.