What is Butyl Stearate?
Butyl Stearate is a synthetic emollient ester. A butyl ester of stearic acid used for slip in lipsticks and creams. Moderately comedogenic at 3/5.
Where Butyl Stearate shows up
You'll most often find Butyl Stearate in lotions, sunscreens, primers, and colour cosmetics, where it adds a smooth, non-greasy slip. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 0/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Butyl Stearate bad for acne-prone skin?
A moderate rating means Butyl Stearate clogs some people and not others. If you're prone to congestion, patch-test a product that features it prominently before committing.
Note for fungal-acne (malassezia) sufferers: Butyl Stearate 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 Butyl Stearate, these lower-risk ingredients serve a similar role and are gentler on pore-prone skin:
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride — rated 1/5 (Low risk).
- Squalane — rated 1/5 (Low risk).