Ingredient list › Stearyl Alcohol
Is Stearyl Alcohol comedogenic?
Stearyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol used to soften skin and thicken formulas. Its comedogenicity rating is 2/5 — a mild, low pore-clogging risk.
Stearyl Alcohol carries only a mild pore-clogging risk. It is fine for most skin types; very reactive or acne-prone skin may still want to patch test a new product that contains it.
What is Stearyl Alcohol?
Stearyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol used to soften skin and thicken formulas. On a product label it may also appear under names such as: stearyl alcohol.
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 →
Acne-safe alternatives to Stearyl Alcohol
If Stearyl Alcohol breaks you out, these lower-rated fatty alcohol options are far less likely to clog pores:
- Behenyl Alcohol — Low risk · 1/5
- Squalane — Low risk · 1/5
- Glycerin — Acne safe · 0/5
- Niacinamide — Acne safe · 0/5
- Hyaluronic Acid — Acne safe · 0/5
How to read this rating
A comedogenicity rating is general guidance, not a lab result for a specific formula. An ingredient near the end of an ingredient list is present in a small amount, so its rating matters less than one near the top. Read our full sources & methodology.