Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient ester · INCI: Ethylhexyl Stearate
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 Ethylhexyl Stearate comedogenic?
Yes. Ethylhexyl Stearate 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
Ethylhexyl stearate is an emollient ester built from a branched fatty alcohol and stearic acid, used to give creams and makeup a cushioned slip. Esters of this shape are consistently grouped as pore-clogging, and we read it as one to avoid on breakout-prone skin.
The nuance
It turns up most often in foundations, primers and rich moisturizers. Leave-on face products are where it matters; near the end of a long list its share of the formula is small.
Names we read the same way
- Octyl Stearate
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: What acne actually is.