Pore-clogging ingredients / Pore-clogging ingredients in sunscreen
Pore-clogging ingredients in sunscreen
When sunscreen breaks you out, the UV filters are rarely the problem: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide rate 0, and chemical filters aren't flagged either. The trouble is the base: dissolving and spreading filters evenly takes a lot of ester, and sunscreens lean on exactly the ones with high comedogenicity ratings.
Ethylhexyl palmitate and ethylhexyl stearate are near-ubiquitous in SPF formulas; shea butter and coconut derivatives are common in 'reef-safe' mineral ones. These are the sunscreen-relevant ingredients our checker flags, worth scanning for since sunscreen is a daily, leave-on, full-face product.
| Ingredient | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Algae Extract | 5/5 | moderate |
| Ethylhexyl Stearate | 5/5 | moderate |
| Shea ButterButyrospermum Parkii Butter | 4/5 | high |
| Cetearyl Alcohol + Ceteareth-20 | 4/5 | moderate |
| Coconut OilCocos Nucifera Oil | 4/5 | high |
| Ethylhexyl Palmitate | 4/5 | high |
| Isopropyl Palmitate | 4/5 | high |
| Isostearyl Isostearate | 4/5 | high |
| Coconut Alkanes | 3/5 | moderate |
| Glyceryl Stearate SE | 3/5 | moderate |
| Isostearyl Neopentanoate | 3/5 | moderate |
| Stearic Acid | 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.