Ingredient decoder

Oleth-5: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

INCI name: Oleth-5

Acne verdict Watch

Worth watching on acne-prone skin

  • Comedogenic3 / 5
  • Irritancy2 / 5

What it does

Emulsifier that helps oils rinse away or blend in.

  • Emulsifying

Oleth-5 in plain English

Oleth-5 is an emulsifier made from oleyl alcohol and a short polyethylene glycol chain. It is often used in cleansing oils so they rinse off with water. It is generally well tolerated.

Is oleth-5 bad for acne?

Not usually, but it is worth watching. Oleth-5 is not a proven pore-clogger, but it can bother some breakout-prone or sensitive skin. In Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test it scored 3 out of 5 for clogging pores and 2 out of 5 for irritation. Notice how your skin reacts when a product lists it near the top.

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

Also called

  • Oleth-5

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Frequently asked questions

Is oleth-5 comedogenic?

Oleth-5 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 oleth-5 do in skincare?

In short: emulsifier that helps oils rinse away or blend in. In formulas it is used for emulsifying.

How can I check if a product with oleth-5 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