What is Laneth-10?
Laneth-10 falls into the lanolin derivative category — a lanolin-derived ingredient (from sheep's wool). An ethoxylated lanolin alcohol named on pore-clogging lists in the moderate range.
You may see it on labels as Laneth 10, Laneth-10, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Laneth-10 shows up
As a lanolin-derived ingredient (from sheep's wool), Laneth-10 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 Laneth-10 bad for acne-prone skin?
A moderate rating means Laneth-10 clogs some people and not others. If you're prone to congestion, patch-test a product that features it prominently before committing.
Worth flagging: Laneth-10's rating is disputed. Credible sources land on different numbers, which is why we show a range rather than a single score — and why your own experience is the best tiebreaker.
Note for fungal-acne (malassezia) sufferers: Laneth-10 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 Laneth-10, 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).