Ingredient decoder

Acetylated lanolin: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

INCI name: Acetylated Lanolin

Acne verdict Watch

Worth watching on acne-prone skin

  • Comedogenic0 / 5
  • Irritancy0 / 5

What it does

Modified lanolin that softens skin and resists water.

  • Antistatic
  • Emollient
  • Emulsifying
  • Hair conditioning
  • Skin conditioning

Acetylated lanolin in plain English

Acetylated lanolin is lanolin that has been chemically modified to feel less sticky and repel water better. Modified lanolins like this one were singled out as pore-cloggers in rabbit-ear testing, more so than plain lanolin. Its rating comes from old rabbit-ear tests of the raw ingredient, which can overstate what happens with a finished product on human skin. In Fulton's 1989 retest it scored only 0 out of 5, so we list it to watch rather than as a pore-clogger.

Is acetylated lanolin bad for acne?

Not usually, but it is worth watching. Acetylated lanolin is not a proven pore-clogger, but it is flagged for acne-prone skin for the reason below. In Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test it scored 0 out of 5 for clogging pores and 0 out of 5 for irritation. Notice how your skin reacts when a product lists it near the top.

Why it is flagged: Lanolin derivatives like this one were singled out as pore-cloggers in rabbit-ear testing.

Clean routine and still breaking out? The cause may be internal. See what is driving it

Also called

  • Acetylated Lanolin

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Frequently asked questions

Is acetylated lanolin comedogenic?

Acetylated lanolin scored 0 out of 5 for comedogenicity in Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear study, where 0 means no clogging and 5 means severe. That is a low rating. The test used the raw ingredient, so a finished product may behave differently.

What does acetylated lanolin do in skincare?

In short: modified lanolin that softens skin and resists water. In formulas it is used for antistatic, emollient, emulsifying, hair conditioning and skin conditioning.

How can I check if a product with acetylated lanolin is acne-safe?

Paste the product's full ingredient list into the free breakoutLabs acne-safe checker. It decodes every ingredient, flags commonly cited pore-cloggers and irritants, and points out acne fighters.

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