Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant · INCI: Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Not a pore-clogger. Considered safe for acne-prone skin.
Is Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate comedogenic?
No. Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate 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
Sodium cocoyl glycinate is an amino acid cleanser, produced by bonding coconut fatty acids to glycine, and it gives the dense, cushiony foam of a cream-to-foam face wash. It is a water-soluble salt, not an oil. We read it as not pore-clogging.
The nuance
Some skin feels tight or squeaky after a wash that relies on it, depending on what else is in the formula. Dryness after cleansing is a comfort question, and it is not the same thing as an ingredient that clogs.
Where it shows up
Cream-to-foam facial cleansers, foaming face washes and gentle body washes. It tends to share the label with other amino acid cleansers in products marketed as low-irritation.
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: The types of acne lesions.