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Fungal acne safe ingredient checker
Paste any product ingredient list and see which ingredients feed malassezia yeast. Relevant only if your bumps are actually fungal, which this page also helps you judge.
CostFree
TimeUnder 1 min
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DataNothing stored
Paste the full ingredient (INCI) list from any product
The science
What fungal acne is, and why ingredients matter more than usual
01
Fungal acne is not acne. It is folliculitis caused by malassezia, a yeast that lives on everyone and overgrows in warm, occluded, oily conditions. It shows up as small, uniform bumps, often itchy, often on the forehead, hairline, chest and back, and it typically gets worse with the products that help ordinary acne.
02
Malassezia feeds on fatty acids with carbon chains between about 11 and 24, which covers most plant oils, many esters, polysorbate emulsifiers, and fermented ingredients. This checker matches your pasted list against those families. It cannot tell you whether your bumps are fungal; the fungal acne quiz on this site walks through the pattern that usually distinguishes it.
03
Matching an ingredient is not a verdict on the product. Concentration, the rest of the formula, and whether it is rinsed off all change how much it matters. Persistent bumps that resist normal acne care are worth a clinician visit, since antifungal treatment is the thing that actually resolves fungal folliculitis.
FAQ
Common questions
How do I know if I have fungal acne?+
The typical pattern is many small bumps of the same size, often itchy, clustered on the forehead, hairline, chest or back, that do not respond to standard acne treatment and may flare with sweat, heat or heavy oils. Only a clinician can confirm it; a skin scraping is the usual test.
What ingredients cause fungal acne?+
Fatty acids and their esters in roughly the C11 to C24 range, most plant oils and butters, polysorbates, and ferment ingredients feed malassezia. Squalane, mineral oil, and most silicones do not.
Is fungal acne safe the same as non-comedogenic?+
No. They are different lists. Coconut oil is both a pore-clogger and a malassezia feeder, but many fungal-acne triggers are not comedogenic at all, and some non-comedogenic ingredients feed yeast.
Does this checker diagnose fungal acne?+
No. It only reads ingredient lists. Use the fungal acne quiz to compare your pattern, and see a clinician if bumps persist, because the treatment is antifungal rather than anything on a skincare shelf.
Keep going
Ingredient conflict checker →
Pick your actives and see which combinations to separate — and which conflicts are myths.
Ingredient list analyzer →
Paste any ingredient list, get a plain-English breakdown.
Pregnancy-safe skincare checker →
Flags ingredients that commonly appear on avoid-in-pregnancy lists, as a heads-up for your doctor.