What a 0/5 rating means
On the comedogenic scale, a 0 means it will not clog pores for essentially anyone, including very acne-prone skin. That places Isopropyl Alcohol in the range most people, including many with acne-prone skin, tolerate well.
One thing the number cannot tell you is concentration. Ingredients are listed in descending order, so Isopropyl Alcohol near the end of a label is present in tiny amounts and matters far less than the same ingredient near the top.
About Isopropyl Alcohol
It is a solvent used to dissolve other ingredients or aid drying. A drying alcohol rated 0 for clogging but 4/5 for irritancy.
On a label it can read as Isopropyl Alcohol, Isopropanol — worth knowing when you scan an ingredient deck.
Isopropyl Alcohol in makeup and skincare
It is used in liquid liners, nail products, and some cleansers. Its irritancy is rated separately at 4/5, which is worth noting for sensitive or reactive skin.
Isopropyl Alcohol comedogenic FAQ
Is Isopropyl Alcohol comedogenic?
No. Isopropyl Alcohol is rated 0/5, which is non-comedogenic on the 0–5 comedogenic scale, so it is unlikely to clog pores for most people, including many with acne-prone skin.
What is the comedogenic rating of Isopropyl Alcohol?
Isopropyl Alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 0/5 (non-comedogenic). Of the 190 ingredients in our dataset with a published rating, 162 rate higher than Isopropyl Alcohol, none rate lower, and 27 others share its 0/5. Among the 3 rated solvents, 1 rates higher and none lower. The figure is drawn from 1 cited source, listed on this page.
Is Isopropyl Alcohol pore-clogging?
It is unlikely to be. At 0/5, Isopropyl Alcohol sits in the range generally treated as non-comedogenic. Concentration still matters: an ingredient near the top of a label makes up far more of the product than one near the end. Comedogenic ratings come mostly from rabbit-ear assays and small human patch tests of the pure ingredient at high concentration, so they are a screening guide, not a prediction for your skin or a medical claim.