Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifier · INCI: Sorbitan Oleate
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Clogs pores for some people. Fine for many, worth watching if you're mid-breakout.
Is Sorbitan Oleate comedogenic?
Sometimes. Sorbitan Oleate 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
Sorbitan oleate is an emulsifier made from sorbitol and oleic acid, the main fatty acid in olive oil. It is oil-loving, so its usual role is holding water inside a rich cream or ointment. We read it as one to use with caution, at a moderate level rather than at the top.
The nuance
The second word on the label is the one that counts, because we read sorbitan stearate and sorbitan laurate as not pore-clogging. It tends to turn up in heavier, oil-rich formulas, where the oils it is holding together are worth a look as well.
Where it shows up
Rich creams and ointments, cleansing balms and oils, sunscreens and cream foundations, often paired with polysorbate 80.
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: The types of acne lesions.