Ingredient
Propylene Glycol Monostearate
Emulsifier · INCI: Propylene Glycol Monostearate
Reviewed by Elysiana, licensed esthetician
How we read it
Clogs pores for some people. Fine for many, worth watching if you're mid-breakout.
Is Propylene Glycol Monostearate comedogenic?
Sometimes. Propylene Glycol Monostearate is potentially pore-clogging, so we read it as one to use with caution. Plenty of people use it without trouble; if you're actively treating acne, it's worth watching.
Why we read it this way
Propylene glycol monostearate is a waxy emulsifier and thickener, and unlike the PEG-based stearates it is not made water-dispersible. It behaves closer to a fatty ester, and it sits at a moderate level on our references, so we read it as one to use with caution.
It is a structural ingredient rather than an active, usually a few percent at most. Whether it matters depends on how rich the rest of the formula already is.
One ingredient rarely tells the whole story. Run the whole label and see everything in the product at once.