Ingredient decoder

Lanolin alcohol: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

INCI name: Lanolin Alcohol

Acne verdict Moderate clog risk

Rated a pore-clogger

  • Comedogenic0-2 / 5
  • Irritancy0 / 5

What it does

Lanolin-derived softener that helps hold creams together.

  • Antistatic
  • Binding
  • Emollient
  • Emulsifying
  • Hair conditioning
  • Viscosity controlling

Lanolin alcohol in plain English

Lanolin alcohol is a mix of fatty alcohols and sterols taken from lanolin, used to soften skin and stabilize creams. It is not a drying alcohol. It has moderate ratings on older comedogenic lists. 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 lanolin alcohol bad for acne?

It can be. Lanolin alcohol has a moderate clog risk rating for acne-prone skin. In Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test it scored 0 to 2 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: A lanolin derivative with moderate ratings on older lists.

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

Also called

  • Lanolin Alcohol
  • Lanolin alcohols
  • Wool wax alcohol
  • Wool wax alcohols
  • Alcoholes adipis lanae

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Frequently asked questions

Is lanolin alcohol comedogenic?

Lanolin alcohol scored 0 to 2 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 to moderate rating. The test used the raw ingredient, so a finished product may behave differently.

What does lanolin alcohol do in skincare?

In short: lanolin-derived softener that helps hold creams together. In formulas it is used for antistatic, binding, emollient, emulsifying, hair conditioning and viscosity controlling.

What else is lanolin alcohol called on ingredient labels?

On ingredient lists, lanolin alcohol can also appear as Lanolin alcohols, Wool wax alcohol, Wool wax alcohols or Alcoholes adipis lanae.

Sources