Pore-clogging ingredients / Pore-clogging ingredients in shampoo and conditioner
Pore-clogging ingredients in shampoo and conditioner
Breakouts along the hairline, jaw, shoulders, or back often have nothing to do with skincare: conditioner runs over exactly those areas in the shower, and styling products migrate onto skin all day. Estheticians call it pomade acne, and it's one of the most fixable breakout patterns there is.
Conditioners are built from exactly the ingredient classes that clog: fatty alcohols, rich plant oils and butters, and ethoxylated surfactants. These are the haircare regulars our checker flags; rinsing your face and body after conditioning helps, but switching products helps more.
| Ingredient | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Isopropyl Myristate | 5/5 | high |
| Laureth-4 | 5/5 | high |
| Oleth-3 | 5/5 | high |
| Sodium Lauryl Sulfate | 5/5 | moderate |
| Wheat Germ OilTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil | 5/5 | high |
| Shea ButterButyrospermum Parkii Butter | 4/5 | high |
| Cetearyl Alcohol + Ceteareth-20 | 4/5 | moderate |
| Coconut OilCocos Nucifera Oil | 4/5 | high |
| Oleyl Alcohol | 4/5 | high |
| Steareth-10 | 4/5 | moderate |
| Laureth-23 | 3/5 | moderate |
| Myristyl Alcohol | 3/5 | moderate |
| Sodium Laureth Sulfate | 3/5 | moderate |
| Wheat Germ Glycerides | 3/5 | moderate |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | 2/5 | low |
| Cocamide DEA | 2/5 | low |
| Cetyl AlcoholHexadecyl Alcohol | 2/5 | low |
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Ratings come from published comedogenicity research and esthetician-maintained lists. They are imperfect and formulation-dependent, and this page isn't medical advice. Last reviewed 2026-08-15 by the PorePass editorial team.