What is Acetylated Lanolin?
Acetylated Lanolin falls into the lanolin derivative category — a lanolin-derived ingredient (from sheep's wool). A heavy, occlusive lanolin derivative used in rich balms. Rated 4/5 for pore-clogging.
You may see it on labels as Acetylated Lanolin, Acetylated Wool Fat, Acetylated Wool Wax, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Acetylated Lanolin shows up
As a lanolin-derived ingredient (from sheep's wool), Acetylated Lanolin typically appears in lip products, rich balms, and heavy moisturisers. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 0/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Acetylated Lanolin bad for acne-prone skin?
For breakout-prone skin, a rating this high is a genuine flag. What matters most is where Acetylated Lanolin sits on the label: near the top it's a real consideration, near the bottom it's usually a trace amount.
Note for fungal-acne (malassezia) sufferers: Acetylated Lanolin is commonly avoided in fungal-acne routines, since it falls into the fatty-acid or ester families the yeast can feed on. The evidence there is looser than for comedogenicity — see our fungal-acne checker for context.
Non-comedogenic alternatives
If you're avoiding Acetylated Lanolin, these lower-risk ingredients serve a similar role and are gentler on pore-prone skin:
- Squalane — rated 1/5 (Low risk).
- Petrolatum — rated 0/5 (Low risk).