Decyl Oleate

Average
Red Flag
Pores
3/5
Irritancy
0/5
FA Safe
❌ No
Pregnancy
✅ Safe
Vegan
✅ Yes

Science & Benefits

Decyl Oleate is an ester of decyl alcohol and oleic acid, widely used to provide a 'velvety' skin feel in lightweight lotions. Despite its elegant texture, it is chemically very similar to the lipids found in human skin, which allows it to penetrate and mix with natural sebum inside the follicle. This compatibility is exactly what makes it comedogenic; it can thicken the sebum into a waxy mass that leads to blackheads and whiteheads. While it is non-irritating, its rating of 3 indicates that it is a common culprit for 'unexplained' congestion in users who believe they are using 'lightweight' or 'non-greasy' products that actually harbor hidden comedogens.

Safety Alerts

🍄

Fungal Acne: This ingredient is a lipid/ester that can feed Malassezia yeast. Avoid if you have active FA bumps.