Does sunscreen cause acne?
Some sunscreens can. When Otto Mills and Albert Kligman tested 29 sunscreen products in 1982, 14 caused comedones. The UV filters they sampled caused none. The trouble seemed to come from the vehicle: the creams and oils the filters are mixed into.
So the useful question is what a sunscreen's base is made of. Our guide to non-comedogenic sunscreens reads each formula's ingredient list against the pore-clogging list and says what it found.
What the 1982 study found
- 14 of the 29 sunscreen products tested on the rabbit ear were comedogenic. The 29 included suntan promoters.
- The vehicles, rather than the UV-absorbing compounds, seemed to be responsible.
- A sampling of UV absorbers tested on their own were non-comedogenic.
- Ultraviolet exposure made the comedogenic effect stronger.
The authors concluded that sunscreen acne may be a form of acne cosmetica, the acne caused by cosmetics in general.
Why the sun matters too
A 1978 study from the same group found that ultraviolet light made several substances, cocoa butter and human skin oil among them, produce more comedones on the rabbit ear. The authors suggested that sunbathing may make acne worse in occasional patients by the same route. That is a conjecture from animal work, and it is labelled as one in the paper.
The limits of the rabbit ear
The rabbit ear reacts more strongly than human skin, which is why a human back-skin model was developed the same year. A 2006 review by Draelos and DiNardo found that results for single ingredients did not reliably predict what a finished product does on people. A sunscreen that broke out a rabbit ear in 1982 is a reason to look closely, and a clean label today is one piece of evidence.
What the checker will and will not flag
None of the 285 ingredients on our list is a UV filter. Zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone and the other filters have no published comedogenic rating here, and the checker reports them as not on the list. What it can flag is the base: the oils, butters and esters around the filters, which is where the 1982 study pointed.
Ingredients our sunscreen guide names
These 5 ingredients are named in the sunscreen guide, highest rated first.
| Ingredient | Rating | Published as |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut Oil | 4–5 High risk | A highly popular, solid-at-room-temp plant oil used as a heavy occlusive moisturizer. |
| Red Algae | 5 High risk | A broad class of seaweeds used for gelling and intense hydration; highly comedogenic. |
| Cocoa Butter | 4 High risk | A heavy, solid plant fat used to provide deep moisture and structural rigidity to products. |
| Plankton Extract | 3–4 High risk | Marine biomass used to deliver high doses of moisture, zinc, and protective enzymes. |
| Vitamin E | 0–3 Moderate risk | A naturally occurring antioxidant used to prevent oils in cosmetics from going rancid. |
Choosing a sunscreen when you break out easily
- Start with the label. For acne-prone and oily skin the American Academy of Dermatology says to look for "non-comedogenic" or "won't clog pores".
- Then read the ingredient list, since that label is the brand's own claim. Paste it into the checker and look at anything rated 3 or above near the top of the list.
- If one sunscreen breaks you out, try another with a different base. Give each a few weeks, and see a dermatologist if breakouts keep coming.
Common questions
Can sunscreen clog pores?
Some can. In a 1982 rabbit-ear study by Mills and Kligman, 14 of 29 sunscreen products caused comedones. The UV filters they sampled did not; the cause seemed to be the vehicle, the creams and oils the filters are carried in.
Why do I break out after wearing sunscreen?
One explanation from the research is the base of the product: emollients and oils that rate high on the comedogenic scale. Sun exposure may add to it. In the same 1982 study, ultraviolet light made the comedogenic sunscreens worse, and a 1978 study found the same effect with cocoa butter and with skin oil itself.
What should I look for in a sunscreen for acne-prone skin?
The American Academy of Dermatology says to look for the words "non-comedogenic" or "won't clog pores". Because that label is the brand's own claim, it is worth pasting the ingredient list into a checker as well, to see whether anything in the base carries a high rating.
Find a non-comedogenic sunscreen
The sunscreen guide reads each formula's ingredient list against our pore-clogging list and says what it found.
More questions about breakouts
Sources used on this page
- Mills OH Jr, Kligman AM. “Comedogenicity of sunscreens. Experimental observations in rabbits.” Archives of Dermatology, June 1982;118(6):417–419. (opens in a new tab) Rabbit ear. 14 of 29 sunscreen products were comedogenic. The vehicles, not the UV absorbers, seemed responsible, and the UV absorbers sampled were non-comedogenic.
- Mills OH, Porte M, Kligman AM. “Enhancement of comedogenic substances by ultraviolet radiation.” British Journal of Dermatology, February 1978;98(2):145–150. (opens in a new tab) Ultraviolet light made several substances, cocoa butter and human sebum among them, produce more comedones on the rabbit ear. The authors conjecture that sunbathing may aggravate acne in occasional patients.
- Mills OH Jr, Kligman AM. “A human model for assessing comedogenic substances.” Archives of Dermatology, November 1982;118(11):903–905. (opens in a new tab) The human back-skin model, developed because the rabbit ear was known to overstate the risk.
- Draelos ZD, DiNardo JC. “A re-evaluation of the comedogenicity concept.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, March 2006;54(3):507–512. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2005.11.1058 (opens in a new tab) Found that animal-model results did not reliably predict what happened on human skin, and that a rating for a single ingredient does not tell you how a finished product will behave.
- American Academy of Dermatology, “How do I know if I’m using the right sunscreen?”. (opens in a new tab) For acne-prone and oily skin: look for the words “non-comedogenic” or “won’t clog pores”.
- American Academy of Dermatology, “Acne: When to see a dermatologist”. (opens in a new tab)