Isodecyl Oleate
Emollient ester · INCI: Isodecyl Oleate
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 Isodecyl Oleate comedogenic?
Yes. Isodecyl Oleate 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
Isodecyl oleate is the branched relative of decyl oleate, built from isodecyl alcohol and oleic acid. It gives a silky slip to formulas that would otherwise drag across the skin. We read it as Highly comedogenic, the same call we make on decyl oleate.
The nuance
It is easy to mistake for decyl oleate on a label, and the mix-up changes nothing because we flag both. Contact time shifts the picture. A rinse-off product is a smaller concern than one that stays on the face.
Where it shows up
Isodecyl oleate appears in foundations, lipsticks and other makeup, and in moisturizers, body lotions and hair products where a silky feel is part of the appeal.
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.