What is Steareth-10?
Steareth-10 falls into the emulsifier category — an emulsifier that helps oil and water mix. A stearyl-based ethoxylated emulsifier named on comedogenic lists in the low-moderate range.
You may see it on labels as Steareth-10, Steareth 10, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Steareth-10 shows up
As an emulsifier that helps oil and water mix, Steareth-10 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 Steareth-10 bad for acne-prone skin?
That low score makes Steareth-10 a reasonable choice even for acne-prone skin. As always, individual reactions vary, but it is not a likely cause of clogged pores.
Worth flagging: Steareth-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: Steareth-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.