Ingredient decoder

Cetyl acetate: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

INCI name: Cetyl Acetate

Acne verdict Moderate clog risk

Rated a pore-clogger

  • Comedogenic4 / 5
  • Irritancy2 / 5

What it does

Emollient ester that softens skin.

  • Emollient
  • Masking
  • Skin conditioning

Cetyl acetate in plain English

Cetyl acetate is a fatty ester used to soften skin, often sold blended with acetylated lanolin alcohol. It shows up on classic comedogenic lists, and its usual partner is flagged too. Its rating comes from old rabbit-ear tests of the raw ingredient, which can overstate what happens with a finished product on human skin.

Is cetyl acetate bad for acne?

It can be. Cetyl acetate has a moderate clog risk rating for acne-prone skin. In Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test it scored 4 out of 5 for clogging pores and 2 out of 5 for irritation. That test used the raw ingredient, so a small amount in a finished product may behave differently. If you break out easily, check where it sits on the ingredient list: the higher it appears, the more of it the product usually contains.

Why it is flagged: A fatty ester that shows up on classic comedogenic lists, often blended with acetylated lanolin alcohol.

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

Also called

  • Cetyl Acetate
  • Hexadecyl acetate

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Frequently asked questions

Is cetyl acetate comedogenic?

Cetyl acetate scored 4 out of 5 for comedogenicity in Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear study, where 0 means no clogging and 5 means severe. That is a high rating. The test used the raw ingredient, so a finished product may behave differently.

What does cetyl acetate do in skincare?

In short: emollient ester that softens skin. In formulas it is used for emollient, masking and skin conditioning.

What else is cetyl acetate called on ingredient labels?

On ingredient lists, cetyl acetate can also appear as Hexadecyl acetate.

Sources