What is Steareth-2?
Steareth-2 is an emulsifier that helps oil and water mix. A low-ethoxylate stearyl emulsifier named on comedogenic lists in the moderate range.
You may see it on labels as Steareth-2, Steareth 2, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Steareth-2 shows up
You'll most often find Steareth-2 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-2 bad for acne-prone skin?
Steareth-2 sits in the grey zone. Plenty of people tolerate it well; those who break out easily may prefer to keep it low on their ingredient lists.
Worth flagging: Steareth-2'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-2 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 Steareth-2, these lower-risk ingredients serve a similar role and are gentler on pore-prone skin:
- Glyceryl Stearate — rated 1/5 (Low risk).
- Cetearyl Alcohol — rated 2/5 (Low risk).