What a —/5 rating means
Because no dependable rating exists, judge Polysorbate 20 by how your own skin responds rather than by a number. The absence of a score is not the same as a zero — it simply means the ingredient has not been reliably tested on the classic comedogenic scale.
About Polysorbate 20
It is an emulsifier, the ingredient that keeps a product's oil and water phases from separating. A mild solubiliser with no firm comedogenic rating. Flagged in fungal-acne circles because polysorbates can be metabolised by malassezia, though polysorbate 20 is the most debated of the group.
On a label it can read as Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate-20, Tween 20 — worth knowing when you scan an ingredient deck.
Polysorbate 20 in makeup and skincare
It quietly stabilises most cream foundations, lotions, and moisturisers. Its irritancy is rated separately at 0/5, which is low.
If you deal with fungal acne (malassezia folliculitis) rather than ordinary clogged pores, note that Polysorbate 20 is among the fatty-acid or ester-type ingredients that community sources commonly avoid — a separate concern from its comedogenic score, and one with weaker evidence behind it.
Polysorbate 20 comedogenic FAQ
Is Polysorbate 20 comedogenic?
There is no established answer. No source we cite gives Polysorbate 20 a comedogenic rating, and a missing score is not the same as a 0. If you are acne-prone, watch how your skin responds.
What is the comedogenic rating of Polysorbate 20?
Polysorbate 20 is unrated on the 0–5 comedogenic scale. Polysorbate 20 is one of 26 ingredients, out of the 216 in our dataset, that none of our cited sources gives a comedogenic number, so we leave it unrated instead of guessing.
Is Polysorbate 20 pore-clogging?
Without a published rating we cannot say either way. Its position on the ingredient list still matters: near the end of a label it is present in small amounts.