Titanium Dioxide
Mineral UV filter · INCI: Titanium Dioxide
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Not a pore-clogger. Considered safe for acne-prone skin.
Is Titanium Dioxide comedogenic?
No. Titanium Dioxide 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
Titanium dioxide is a white mineral powder used as a UV filter in sunscreens and as the pigment that gives foundations their coverage. It is an insoluble solid that rests on top of the skin until it is washed off. We read titanium dioxide as not pore-clogging.
The nuance
Titanium dioxide does not spread on its own. In sunscreen the particles are usually coated, often with alumina, stearic acid or dimethicone, and suspended in esters or silicones. When a mineral formula congests, that carrier is a likelier cause than the mineral.
Where it shows up
Mineral and tinted sunscreens, foundations, concealers, BB creams and setting powders. Opaque creams and bar soaps use it as their white pigment.
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 causes acne.