Ingredient list › D&C Red 21

Does D&C Red 21 clog pores?

Quick answer: It can — D&C Red 21 carries a moderate pore-clogging risk (rated 3/5), so watch it if you break out easily, especially when it is high on the ingredient list. It is not a common fungal-acne trigger.

3/5
Moderate pore-clogging risk
Comedogenicity scale: 0 = won't clog pores, 5 = very likely to clog pores.
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D&C Red 21 has a moderate chance of clogging pores. Plenty of people tolerate it, but if you break out easily it is worth watching — particularly if it is one of the first few ingredients listed.

Check a full ingredient list →

What is D&C Red 21?

D&C Red 21 is a cosmetic colorant/dye. On an ingredient label it may also appear as red 21. You'll most often see it in makeup, tinted products and coloured cosmetics.

Fungal-acne (Malassezia) safe? Yes — it is not on common Malassezia (fungal acne) trigger lists. Check a whole product for fungal-acne triggers →

Is D&C Red 21 comedogenic?

D&C Red 21 has a comedogenicity rating of 3/5 — moderate pore-clogging risk. Remember that where an ingredient sits in the list matters: D&C Red 21 near the top means a higher concentration and more impact than the same ingredient near the end.

Acne-safe alternatives to D&C Red 21

If D&C Red 21 breaks you out, these lower-rated colorant options are far less likely to clog pores:

How we rate comedogenicity — and its limits

The 0–5 comedogenicity scale comes from dermatology research that measured how much individual ingredients clogged pores, originally using the rabbit-ear assay (Fulton et al., 1984). A rating reflects an ingredient's potential to clog pores at high concentration — not a guarantee that any finished product will break you out.

That distinction matters. A later review (Draelos & DiNardo, 2006) found that a single ingredient's comedogenic score does not reliably predict how a complete formula behaves on real skin: concentration, the rest of the formula, and your own skin all change the result. So read D&C Red 21's 3/5 as a risk signal — most useful when the ingredient sits near the top of the list — rather than a verdict on one specific product.

AcneSafeCheck compiles published comedogenicity ratings and dermatology references into one searchable database. It is educational, not a lab test of your specific product, and not medical advice.

References

  1. Fulton JE Jr, Pay SR, Fulton JE III. Comedogenicity of current therapeutic products, cosmetics, and ingredients in the rabbit ear. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1984;10(1):96–105. PubMed
  2. Draelos ZD, DiNardo JC. A re-evaluation of the comedogenicity concept. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;54(3):507–512. PubMed
  3. American Academy of Dermatology. Acne: causes, treatment and skin-care guidance. aad.org

By Mitchell Zandwijken · Rated against the published comedogenicity references above · Last updated July 2026.

Note: Informational only, not medical advice. Real-world effects depend on concentration, the full formula and your individual skin.