Pore-clogging ingredients / PEG-16 Lanolin
Is PEG-16 Lanolin comedogenic?
Yes. This ingredient clogs pores for many people.
- Comedogenic rating
- 4/5
- Highly comedogenic
- Evidence confidence
- moderate
- Most published lists include this ingredient, with ratings that vary by about one point.
- Also appears as
- solulan 16
What is PEG-16 Lanolin?
Lanolin reacted with polyethylene glycol to make it water-dispersible (historically sold as Solulan 16). Used as an emollient-emulsifier in creams and conditioners.
What to do if you're acne-prone
Skip it in leave-on products like moisturizers, sunscreens, and foundations if you're acne-prone. In rinse-off products the risk is lower but not zero.
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.