Isopropyl isostearate: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

What it does

Silky emollient ester that softens skin.

• Binding
• Emollient
• Skin conditioning

Isopropyl isostearate in plain English

Isopropyl isostearate is an oily ester that softens skin and gives a formula a silky feel. It belongs to the isopropyl myristate family that was named as a group of pore-cloggers. Acne-prone skin may do better with products that leave it out. 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 isopropyl isostearate bad for acne?

It can be. Isopropyl isostearate has a high clog risk rating for acne-prone skin. In Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test it scored 5 out of 5 for clogging pores and 0 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: Part of the isopropyl myristate family named in rabbit-ear testing.

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

Also called

• Isopropyl Isostearate
• Isostearic acid isopropyl ester

Related ingredients

• Isopropyl lanolateModerate clog riskRich lanolin-based emollient that softens and protects
• Isopropyl linoleateHigh clog riskEmollient ester that softens and conditions skin
• Isopropyl stearateModerate clog riskEmollient ester that softens skin and adds slip
• Isostearyl isostearateHigh clog riskHeavy, cushiony emollient that softens dry skin
• Isostearyl neopentanoateHigh clog riskSilky emollient ester common in makeup and lip products
• Acetylated lanolin alcoholHigh clog riskLight lanolin-based emollient that softens skin