What is Myristyl Alcohol?
Myristyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol (a waxy conditioning ingredient, not a drying alcohol). A C14 fatty alcohol repeatedly listed as comedogenic in the moderate range.
You may see it on labels as Myristyl Alcohol, Tetradecanol, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Myristyl Alcohol shows up
You'll most often find Myristyl Alcohol in creams, conditioners, and lotions, where it thickens and softens. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 0/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Myristyl Alcohol bad for acne-prone skin?
A moderate rating means Myristyl Alcohol clogs some people and not others. If you're prone to congestion, patch-test a product that features it prominently before committing.
Worth flagging: Myristyl Alcohol'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.
Non-comedogenic alternatives
If you're avoiding Myristyl Alcohol, these lower-risk ingredients serve a similar role and are gentler on pore-prone skin:
- Squalane — rated 1/5 (Low risk).
- Niacinamide — rated 0/5 (Low risk).