Ingredient · dataset v56
Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate and fungal acne
May trigger · Moderate evidence
Why it's a potential trigger
An oleate (C18:1) ester on a polyglycerol core; same basis as the ruled sorbitan oleate family.
Class-level call; not individually feeding-tested.
Evidence strength
Moderate evidence (2/3)
Function
Fatty ester
Fatty esters: split by the yeast’s enzymes into edible fats.
Products without this ingredient
- Native Body Wash Cucumber & Mint 18 oz
- Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser
- Fresh Monster Kids Hair Gel, Flexible Hold, No Added Fragrance 6 oz
- innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder
- NOW Solutions Bentonite Clay Powder 11 oz
- Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 13.5 fl oz
Related fatty ester
- Ascorbyl Palmitate — May trigger · Moderate evidence
- Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate — May trigger · Moderate evidence
- Behenyl Acrylate — May trigger · Limited evidence
- Behenyl Behenate — May trigger · Limited evidence
- Bis-Octyldodecyl Dimer Dilinoleate/Propanediol Copolymer — May trigger · Moderate evidence
- Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate — No known trigger
- Butyloctyl Salicylate — May trigger · Limited evidence
- C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate — May trigger · Limited evidence
Sources
- Brunke & Hube 2006 — MfLIP1 extracellular lipase hydrolyses Tweens (Microbiology)
- Mayser et al. 1995 — ester hydrolysis depends on alcohol moiety (Acta Derm Venereol)
- EU CosIng database — search the INCI name
Last reviewed: 2026-10-13 (dataset v56).
Questions
Does Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate trigger fungal acne?
We flag it as a potential trigger (moderate evidence). That means it belongs to a class the Malassezia yeast is known to feed on — not that every product with it will cause a flare. Concentration, formulation and individual skin chemistry matter.
Does Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate feed Malassezia?
Yes: we flag Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate as a potential trigger (moderate evidence). It belongs to a class Malassezia is known to feed on — not a claim that every product with it causes a flare. Concentration, formulation and individual skin chemistry matter.
How confident is this call?
Moderate evidence: An oleate (C18:1) ester on a polyglycerol core; same basis as the ruled sorbitan oleate family.
Is this medical advice?
No. We screen ingredient lists; we never diagnose, treat, or certify products. When in doubt, ask a dermatologist.
Check a full list containing Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate →
Not medical advice: we screen ingredient lists for potential triggers — we never diagnose, treat, or certify products. Dataset v56.