Pore-clogging ingredients / D&C Red 21 / Red 22
Is D&C Red 21 / Red 22 comedogenic?
INCI name: CI 45380
It can. This ingredient carries moderate pore-clogging risk.
- Comedogenic rating
- 3/5
- Moderately comedogenic
- Evidence confidence
- moderate
- Most published lists include this ingredient, with ratings that vary by about one point.
- Also appears as
- d&c red 21, d&c red 22, red 21, red 22
What is D&C Red 21 / Red 22?
A xanthene red dye (D&C Red 21/22, eosin lineage) used in lipsticks and the classic 'color-changing' pH lip stains.
What to do if you're acne-prone
Position matters: high on the ingredient list means more of it in the formula. If you're very breakout-prone, choose an alternative; otherwise watch how your skin responds.
Where this rating comes from
Our ratings consolidate two lineages: the original rabbit-ear comedogenicity assays published by James Fulton and colleagues (Fulton, Pay & Fulton, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1984; Fulton, Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, 1989), and the pore-clogger lists maintained by acne-specialist estheticians in the Face Reality lineage that refine those assays with decades of client observation. This ingredient appears across both lineages with ratings that vary by about one point; we show the consensus value.
Last reviewed 2026-08-15 by the PorePass editorial team.
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Comedogenicity ratings come from published ingredient studies and esthetician-compiled lists. They are imperfect and formulation-dependent, and this page isn't medical advice. Reactions vary by skin, concentration, and the rest of the formula.