Oleyl Alcohol
Fatty alcohol · INCI: Oleyl Alcohol
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 Oleyl Alcohol comedogenic?
Yes. Oleyl Alcohol 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
Flagged by an acne-safe list; reports are mixed and it's not consistently called out across sources.
The nuance
Most relevant in rich leave-on products on breakout-prone skin.
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 causes acne.