Is isopropyl myristate ?
Isopropyl Myristate’s rating, who rated it, and what the lab tests can’t tell you.
on labels: Isopropyl Myristate
Who rated it
- ✓ Fulton 1989
- ✓ Morris & Kwan 1983
- ✓ Acne Specialists list
- ✓ acne.org list
| Source | Rating | What was tested |
|---|---|---|
| Fulton 1989 | 5 of 5, high | 10% in propylene glycol |
| Morris & Kwan 1983 | 3 to 4 of 5, high | 50% in propylene glycol |
| Acne Specialists list | flags it | a list, not a test |
| acne.org list | flags it, under “Avoid” | a list, not a test |
A study only counts for the ingredients it tested. A list counts for every ingredient: on it means it flags it. How we count agreement →
Question about this rating? Email us about Isopropyl Myristate (contact@acneingredientchecker.com)What this means in practice
- It marks the top of the scale. Fulton used it as his . His top grade, 5, means clogged pores like the ones it caused.
- It was tested at , on rabbits. Fulton mixed it into and put it on the inner ears of rabbits. Their skin reacts more than ours, so the tends to overstate the risk.
- A second lab came close. tested it at 50%, five times Fulton’s strength, and rated it 3 to 4 out of 5.
- It isn’t a plant oil. Fulton listed it with the fatty acids and the ingredients made from them, not with the oils.
- Why it’s in products. CosIng, the EU’s ingredient database, lists isopropyl myristate as an emollient: it helps skin look soft and smooth. It’s also used in pressed powders and perfumes.
- Where it sits on the label matters. Near the top usually means more of it. Near the bottom, there’s usually much less.
Watch the label
Several ingredients with similar names were rated too, and not all the same way.
- Isopropyl palmitate and isopropyl isostearate were rated high too: Fulton gave them 4 and 5 out of 5.
- Myristyl myristate got a 5 from Fulton, but only 0 to 1 from Morris and Kwan, who tested it in mineral oil.
- “Isopropyl” alone isn’t the problem. Isopropyl alcohol and diisopropyl adipate were both rated 0.
Check the exact name on your label: a rating for one doesn’t carry over to another.
What about fungal acne?
If you have fungal acne (), isopropyl myristate may not be a good fit.
In a lab study, every of the fungal-acne yeast that was tested grew on it, from all four species.
Fed the yeast in a lab test
Dobler 2019: M. furfur grew (both strains); M. sympodialis grew (all 4 strains); M. globosa grew (both strains); M. restricta grew. Lab agar with the ingredient as the only fat, at 2–10% in dimethicone or water, or undiluted (the table doesn’t say which). Checked at 7 and 14 days.
A lab result, not a promise about your skin. Check a list for fungal acne →
Check a whole product
One ingredient is only part of the story. Paste the full ingredient list into the checker to see every flagged ingredient, where it sits on the label, and how many sources agree.
Common questions
Is isopropyl myristate comedogenic?
In lab tests, yes. Fulton’s 1989 test rated it 5 out of 5 (high) at 10%, and Morris and Kwan’s 1983 test rated it 3 to 4 at 50%. Both tests were done on rabbits, whose skin reacts more than ours.
Does a product with isopropyl myristate always clog pores?
Not always. A 2006 study by Draelos and DiNardo tested finished products on people’s backs. The products were made with ingredients rated as pore-clogging, though the summary doesn’t say which. Its authors concluded that such products don’t always clog pores. We’ve read only that summary. If you’re unsure about a product, try it on one small area for a few weeks first.
Is isopropyl myristate OK for fungal acne?
It may not be. In a 2019 lab study (Dobler), all 9 strains of Malassezia, the yeast behind fungal acne, grew on it. These are lab results, not promises about your skin. If you think you have fungal acne, a doctor can check.
Does isopropyl myristate irritate skin?
Fulton also scored irritation in the same rabbit test, on its own 0 to 5 scale, and gave isopropyl myristate a 3, the middle of the scale. That score is separate from its pore-clogging rating, and it’s a rabbit result: your skin may react differently.
Sources on this page
- Fulton 1989: Comedogenicity and irritancy of commonly used ingredients in skin care products. Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists 40(6):321–333 (Nov/Dec 1989)
- Morris & Kwan 1983: Use of the rabbit ear model in evaluating the comedogenic potential of cosmetic ingredients. Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists 34(5):215–225 (Aug 1983)
- Acne Specialists list: Pore-Clogging Ingredients Checker list, Acne Specialists (acnespecialists.com)
- acne.org list: Common Comedogenic Ingredients, acne.org (Dan Kern)
- Dobler 2019: Impact of selected cosmetic ingredients on common microorganisms of healthy human skin. Cosmetics 6(3):45 (2019), open access, CC BY 4.0. DOI: 10.3390/cosmetics6030045
- Draelos ZD, DiNardo JC. A re-evaluation of the comedogenicity concept. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 54(3):507–512 (2006). Abstract only. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2005.11.1058
- Source: European Commission, CosIng database, CC BY 4.0: Isopropyl Myristate, listed functions, reworded in plain language. Checked Nov 3, 2026. CosIng entry
What to do next
- Patch-test first Try a new product on a small area.
- Give it a few weeks Skin takes time to show changes.
- See a doctor if it hurts Painful or widespread acne needs care. Read about acne: NHS · AAD
Not medical advice. Flags are a screening aid, not a diagnosis. The amount and the formula both matter.
Comedogenic
Likely to clog pores. A clogged pore is called a comedo: a blackhead or a whitehead.
INCI name
The official ingredient name printed on labels. Plant ingredients use their Latin name, like Simmondsia Chinensis for jojoba.
The 0 to 5 scale
Fulton’s score for how many clogged pores an ingredient caused in the test: 0 is none, 5 is a lot. On this site, 3 and up “may clog pores” and 2 is “rated low”.
Fulton 1989
James E. Fulton Jr., of the Acne Research Institute in California, rated about 220 skincare ingredients in 1989. Many pore-clogging lists still copy his numbers.
Known pore-clogger
An ingredient a lab test uses as its standard, because it clogs pores in that test. Other results are judged against it.
Tested at 10%
Fulton tested most ingredients at the same strength, 10%, so the results could be compared. A real product can hold more or less.
Propylene glycol
A clear liquid that Fulton mixed most ingredients into before testing.
Rabbit-ear test
A rabbit’s inner ear forms clogged pores within two weeks, so many ingredients could be compared quickly. Its skin reacts more than ours, so the test tends to overstate the risk.
Morris & Kwan 1983
A 1983 rabbit-ear study from Revlon’s research lab. It tested about 30 ingredients, mostly undiluted.
Fungal acne (Malassezia)
Malassezia is a yeast that lives on most people’s skin. When it overgrows in hair follicles, it can cause bumps that look like acne.
Strain
A lab-grown line of one yeast species. Strains of the same species can react differently, so a study tests several.