Linalool
Fragrance allergen · INCI: Linalool
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Not a pore-clogger. Considered safe for acne-prone skin.
Is Linalool comedogenic?
No. Linalool 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
Linalool is a scent molecule with a soft floral note, found naturally in lavender and many other essential oils and also made synthetically. It is named on a label because it is a recognized fragrance allergen. It is a trace scent component, and we read it as not pore-clogging.
The nuance
Linalool is one of the more common causes of fragrance allergy, and it becomes more reactive as it oxidizes in an opened product. Redness or itching from it is a different question from pore-clogging, and our call only answers the second.
Where it shows up
It sits near the end of the ingredient list on scented moisturizers, serums, shampoos, body washes and deodorants, and on many products made with lavender oil.
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.