What is Polysorbate 80?
Chemically, Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier that helps oil and water mix. An oleate-based emulsifier and solubiliser. No firm comedogenic rating, but frequently flagged for fungal acne because of its fatty-acid backbone.
You may see it on labels as Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate-80, Tween 80, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Polysorbate 80 shows up
Polysorbate 80 is commonly formulated into almost any lotion or cream, where it keeps the oil and water phases blended. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 0/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Polysorbate 80 bad for acne-prone skin?
Because no reliable comedogenic score exists for Polysorbate 80, judge it by how your own skin responds rather than by a number.
Worth flagging: Polysorbate 80'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: Polysorbate 80 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.