COMEDOGENIC INGREDIENTS TO BE AWARE OF

Isopropyl Myristate Causes Acne And Skin Irritation

There are several chemicals analogous to isopropyl myristate in cosmetics:

• isopropyl isosterate
• myristyl myristate
• octyl sterate
• isopropyl palmitate

Coloring Substances May Be The Cause Of Your Acne Outbreaks: D & C Red No. 3, 17, 21, 30 and 36

Other ingredients causing acne:

• Cocoa and coconut butter (frequently used in BodyShop products)
  
• stearic acid used to create O/W (oil in water) emulsions, naturally produced from palm kernel oil (used in some Lush products)
  
• algae extract and derivates such as algin
• butyl stearate (used as lubricant)
• hydrogenated vegetable oil

NATURAL PRODUCTS CAN BE COMEDOGENIC

The word for ingredients tending to produce or aggravate acne is comedogenic. Comedo is the latin word for glutton (it was formerly believed that comedones are the remains of a gluttonous worm). An open comedo is nothing else than a blackhead; a closed comedo is a whitehead.

Comedogenic Ingredients Are Acne-Causing Substances
Many ingredients in common cosmetics are comedogenic and cause acne outbreaks, such as acne pimples, whiteheads, blackheads or papules.

Some Natural Products Can Also Aggravate Acne
Not all that is labelled as natural product is harmless to the skin. There are some natural oils (e.g. Lanolin Oil) that can cause acne even though it's a natural product.
Find many more acne-causing ingredients in my next post about comedogenic ingredients!