Ingredient decoder

Mink oil: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

INCI name: Mink Oil

Acne verdict Moderate clog risk

Rated a pore-clogger

  • Comedogenic3(2) / 5
  • Irritancy1 / 5

What it does

Animal oil used as an emollient, may clog pores.

  • Hair conditioning
  • Skin conditioning

Mink oil in plain English

Mink oil is an animal-derived oil used to soften skin and hair. It has moderate ratings on older comedogenic lists. Keep in mind these ratings come from old rabbit-ear tests of the raw ingredient, which can overstate the risk of a small amount in a finished product.

Is mink oil bad for acne?

It can be. Mink oil has a moderate clog risk rating for acne-prone skin. In Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test it scored 3(2) out of 5 for clogging pores and 1 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: An animal oil with moderate ratings on older lists.

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

Also called

  • Mink Oil

Related ingredients

Browse all ingredients A to Z

Frequently asked questions

Is mink oil comedogenic?

Mink oil scored 3(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 moderate rating. The test used the raw ingredient, so a finished product may behave differently.

What does mink oil do in skincare?

In short: animal oil used as an emollient, may clog pores. In formulas it is used for hair conditioning and skin conditioning.

How can I check if a product with mink oil 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.

Sources