Ingredient list › Polysorbate 80
Does Polysorbate 80 clog pores?
Quick answer: Unlikely — Polysorbate 80 has a very low pore-clogging risk (rated 1/5) and is generally fine for acne-prone skin. It is also a common fungal-acne (Malassezia) trigger.
Polysorbate 80 has a very low likelihood of clogging pores and is generally considered safe for acne-prone skin.
What is Polysorbate 80?
Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier that keeps oil and water mixed in a formula. You'll most often see it in creams, lotions and any product that blends oil and water.
Fungal-acne (Malassezia) safe? No — this is a common Malassezia (fungal acne) trigger, so avoid it if you have fungal acne. Check a whole product for fungal-acne triggers →
Is Polysorbate 80 comedogenic?
Polysorbate 80 has a comedogenicity rating of 1/5 — a very low pore-clogging risk. Remember that where an ingredient sits in the list matters: Polysorbate 80 near the top means a higher concentration and more impact than the same ingredient near the end.
Similar acne-safe ingredients
Polysorbate 80 is already a low-risk choice. Other acne-safe options you may see alongside it include:
- Hydrogenated Lecithin — Low risk · 1/5
- PEG-100 Stearate — Low risk · 1/5
- PEG-150 Distearate — Low risk · 1/5
- PEG-40 Stearate — Low risk · 1/5
- Sorbitan Stearate — 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 Polysorbate 80'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.