Ingredient list › Octinoxate
Does Octinoxate clog pores?
Quick answer: Unlikely — Octinoxate has a very low pore-clogging risk (rated 1/5) and is generally fine for acne-prone skin. It is not a common fungal-acne trigger.
Octinoxate has a very low likelihood of clogging pores and is generally considered safe for acne-prone skin.
What is Octinoxate?
Octinoxate is a UV filter used in sunscreens. On an ingredient label it may also appear as ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate. You'll most often see it in sunscreens and SPF moisturisers and makeup.
Fungal-acne (Malassezia) safe? Yes — it is not on common Malassezia (fungal acne) trigger lists. Check a whole product for fungal-acne triggers →
Is Octinoxate comedogenic?
Octinoxate has a comedogenicity rating of 1/5 — a very low pore-clogging risk. Remember that where an ingredient sits in the list matters: Octinoxate near the top means a higher concentration and more impact than the same ingredient near the end.
Similar acne-safe ingredients
Octinoxate is already a low-risk choice. Other acne-safe options you may see alongside it include:
- Avobenzone — Acne safe · 0/5
- Homosalate — Low risk · 1/5
- Octocrylene — Low risk · 1/5
- Titanium Dioxide — Low risk · 1/5
- Zinc Oxide — Low risk · 1/5
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 Octinoxate's 1/5 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
- 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
- Draelos ZD, DiNardo JC. A re-evaluation of the comedogenicity concept. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;54(3):507–512. PubMed
- 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.