What is Sorbitan Laurate?
Sorbitan Laurate falls into the emulsifier category — an emulsifier that helps oil and water mix. A laurate emulsifier named on some pore-clogging lists. Low comedogenic risk but flagged in fungal-acne circles as a fatty-acid ester.
Where Sorbitan Laurate shows up
As an emulsifier that helps oil and water mix, Sorbitan Laurate typically appears in 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 Sorbitan Laurate bad for acne-prone skin?
Because it barely registers on the comedogenic scale, Sorbitan Laurate is generally a safe pick for breakout-prone skin and is often recommended as a gentler alternative to heavier ingredients.
Worth flagging: Sorbitan Laurate'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: Sorbitan Laurate 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.