Ingredient decoder

Isostearyl neopentanoate: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

INCI name: Isostearyl Neopentanoate

Acne verdict High clog risk

Rated a pore-clogger

  • Comedogenic3 / 5
  • Irritancy3 / 5

What it does

Silky emollient ester common in makeup and lip products.

  • Binding
  • Emollient
  • Skin conditioning

Isostearyl neopentanoate in plain English

Isostearyl neopentanoate is a smooth, non-greasy feeling ester used in foundations, lip products and creams. It was named as an isopropyl myristate analog that clogged pores in rabbit-ear testing. 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 isostearyl neopentanoate bad for acne?

It can be. Isostearyl neopentanoate has a high clog risk rating for acne-prone skin. In Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test it scored 3 out of 5 for clogging pores and 3 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: Named as an isopropyl myristate analog that clogged pores in rabbit-ear testing.

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

Also called

  • Isostearyl Neopentanoate

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Frequently asked questions

Is isostearyl neopentanoate comedogenic?

Isostearyl neopentanoate scored 3 out of 5 for comedogenicity in Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear study, where 0 means no clogging and 5 means severe. That is a moderate rating. The test used the raw ingredient, so a finished product may behave differently.

What does isostearyl neopentanoate do in skincare?

In short: silky emollient ester common in makeup and lip products. In formulas it is used for binding, emollient and skin conditioning.

How can I check if a product with isostearyl neopentanoate 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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