Polysorbate 80
Emulsifier · INCI: Polysorbate 80
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Not a pore-clogger. Considered safe for acne-prone skin.
Is Polysorbate 80 comedogenic?
No. Polysorbate 80 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
Polysorbate 80 is a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer built from sorbitan, oleic acid and a set of water-loving chains. It lets oil disperse into water, the reason some cleansing oils turn milky and rinse clean. We read it as not pore-clogging.
The nuance
The oleic acid it is built from is where the worry starts, and its plainer relative sorbitan oleate is one we read with caution. The water-loving chains are the difference. Polysorbate 80 disperses and rinses instead of staying behind as an oil.
Where it shows up
It turns up in cleansing oils and balms, bath oils, hair conditioners, and water-based serums or mists that carry a little oil or fragrance.
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.