What is Myristic Acid?
Myristic Acid falls into the fatty acid category — a fatty acid. A C14 fatty acid used in cleansers and cream bases, rated 3/5. Within the chain-length range that feeds fungal acne.
You may see it on labels as Myristic Acid, Tetradecanoic Acid, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Myristic Acid shows up
As a fatty acid, Myristic Acid typically appears in cleansers, cream bases, and bar soaps, where it builds texture and lather. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 0/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Myristic Acid bad for acne-prone skin?
A moderate rating means Myristic Acid 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: Myristic Acid 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 Myristic Acid, these lower-risk ingredients serve a similar role and are gentler on pore-prone skin: