Sorbitan Isostearate
Sorbitan isostearate is rated 2 to 3 on our list, a range whose top puts it in the moderate band, and the number is traced: Fulton 1989 graded it 1 to 2, varying with the supplier.
Like every rating here, it is for the raw ingredient tested alone, and a label does not print how much of it a product holds.
Is sorbitan isostearate comedogenic?
Sorbitan Isostearate is rated 2–3 on the comedogenic scale: our list gives it a range from 2 to 3, and the band follows the 3 at the top. The rabbit-ear studies we have read give it less: Fulton 1989 gave it 1 to 2, varying with the supplier. Our list's 3 is above all of them.
An emulsifier often used to stabilize water-in-oil formulas like foundations.
- Comedogenic rating
- 2–3 out of 5 (a range on our list)
- Band
- Moderate: Borderline plugging in the rabbit-ear test. Worth a look in a leave-on product.
- Where the number comes from
- Traced to Fulton 1989. The section on who rated it prints each grade.
- Composition
- Emulsifier / Alcohols & Derivatives
- Also written as
- No common variants recorded
What a 2–3 means in practice
Three is the middle of the scale. Fulton 1989 counted 2 to 3 as borderline in the rabbit-ear test: some plugging of the follicles, short of a clear positive. Whether it matters depends on how high it sits on the label and whether the product stays on your skin.
Two things change what this number is worth. Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration, so sorbitan isostearate near the top of a label matters far more than sorbitan isostearate at the bottom. And the rating describes the raw ingredient on its own. A 2006 review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that a rating for a single ingredient does not reliably predict how a finished formula behaves on human skin. The full story of the scale is here.
Who rated it
Our list is a little higher than the research, in the same band. Our list gives sorbitan isostearate 2–3. Fulton 1989 gave it 1 to 2, varying with the supplier. We report the list as it stands and show the papers beside it. Where the list and the research disagree.
Our list gives sorbitan isostearate 2–3. These are the figures the published rabbit-ear studies we have read give it, as printed in each paper's table.
| Paper | Grade | Tested as |
|---|---|---|
| Fulton 1989 | Grade 1 to 2, varying with the supplier | Tested as Sorbitan isostearate |
Our list's top figure, 3, is higher than anything in these papers.
Where sorbitan isostearate comes up on this site
Fungal acne
Sorbitan Isostearate matches rule 2, ester of a C12 to C24 fatty acid , on the fungal acne checker. An ester of isostearic acid, C18. The rule comes from lab studies of what Malassezia yeast can feed on, and it is not a verdict on any product.
Common questions
- Is sorbitan isostearate comedogenic?
- Sorbitan Isostearate is rated 2–3 on the comedogenic scale: our list gives it a range from 2 to 3, and the band follows the 3 at the top. The rabbit-ear studies we have read give it less: Fulton 1989 gave it 1 to 2, varying with the supplier. Our list's 3 is above all of them.
- Is sorbitan isostearate non comedogenic?
- No. Sorbitan Isostearate is rated 2–3 on the comedogenic scale, which is the moderate band. That is the number on our list; the papers we read grade it lower (see Who rated it).
- What is sorbitan isostearate's comedogenic rating?
- 2–3 out of 5 on our list. It is classed as Emulsifier / Alcohols & Derivatives. The rabbit-ear studies we have read give it less: Fulton 1989 gave it 1 to 2, varying with the supplier. Our list's 3 is above all of them.
Sources we checked this rating against
- Kligman AM, Kwong T. “An improved rabbit ear model for assessing comedogenic substances.” British Journal of Dermatology, June 1979;100(6):699–702. (opens in a new tab) The rabbit-ear assay behind published 0 to 5 comedogenicity grades.
- Fulton JE Jr. “Comedogenicity and irritancy of commonly used ingredients in skin care products.” Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, November/December 1989;40(6):321–333. (opens in a new tab) Rabbit ear. Each ingredient at 10 percent in propylene glycol unless stated, applied five days a week for two weeks, and graded 0 to 5 from the width of the follicles, measured by micrometer and under the microscope. The paper counts 0 to 1 as not significant, 2 to 3 as borderline and 4 to 5 as positive. Some grades depended on the supplier of the raw material, and some oils were also tested refined.
- 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) Tested finished products on the backs of six people and concluded that “Finished products using comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic.”