Is CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum Pore-Clogging? 58% Clean

#	Ingredient	Pores	Fungal acne
36	Butyrospermum Parkii Butter	2/5 · Mild risk	Trigger
19	Cetearyl Alcohol	2/5 · Mild risk	Safe
28	Tocopherol	2/5 · Mild risk	Safe
3	Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride	1/5 · Low	Safe
17	Dimethicone	1/5 · Low	Safe
6	Polysorbate 20	Not rated	Trigger
7	PEG-100 Stearate	Not rated	Trigger
22	Lecithin	Not rated	Trigger
1	Aqua	0/5 · Low	Safe
2	Glycerin	0/5 · Low	Safe
15	Niacinamide	0/5 · Low	Safe
32	Sodium Hyaluronate	0/5 · Low	Safe

Worth a second look

These aren't in our database, but they look like fats or emulsifiers that can matter for fungal acne:

25 ingredients not in our pore-clogging database

These have no published comedogenic rating in our data. Most are preservatives, fragrance, extracts or actives that are not known pore-cloggers.

Ingredients rated 3–5 that appear after position 15 are usually present below about 1%, so they are shown as "Low amount" and do not trigger the pore-clog alert. Ratings come from the Fulton comedogenic scale (0–5) and published Malassezia research. They are a rough guide: the concentration and the whole formula matter, and everyone's skin is different.

Acne-safe breakdown

We found no ingredients rated 3 or higher in CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum. The ingredients doing most of the work are Aqua, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and Polysorbate 20, which are all low-risk for pores.

Compare CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum

vs Anua Azelaic Acid 10 Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum vs Anua Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 Serum vs CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum vs Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief vs Minimalist Alpha Arbutin 2% Face Serum vs Minimalist Niacinamide 10% Face Serum vs Minimalist Retinol 0.3% Face Serum vs Minimalist Salicylic Acid 2% Face Serum vs Minimalist Vitamin C 10% Face Serum vs Plum 15% Vitamin C & Mandarin Glow Boost Serum

Full ingredient list

Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Polysorbate 20, Peg-40 Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Niacinamide, Isoceteth-10, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract / Chicory Root Extract, Lecithin, Retinol, Silica, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter / Shea Butter, Ethylhexylglycerin

Source: official CeraVe product page, checked 27 Sep 2026. Formulas vary by country and change over time, so always check your pack.

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Frequently asked questions

Is CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum pore-clogging?

Mild risk. No heavy pore-cloggers found, but 3 ingredients are rated 2. Most people are fine; very acne-prone skin should watch for small bumps.

Is CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum safe for fungal acne?

No. It contains Polysorbate 20, PEG-100 Stearate, Lecithin and Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, which can feed Malassezia yeast.

What is the clean score of CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum?

CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum scores 58% on our pore-clog and fungal-acne scan, based on 12 recognised ingredients out of 37.

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