Beauty Elixir

Minimalist · Serum · leave-on

Is Minimalist Retinol 0.3% Face Serum pore-clogging or fungal-acne safe?

63%clean
Mild risk

No heavy pore-cloggers found, but 1 ingredient is rated 2. Most people are fine; very acne-prone skin should watch for small bumps.

Not fungal-acne safe

1 ingredient can feed Malassezia yeast (itchy, uniform forehead or chest bumps).

#IngredientPoresFungal acneIrritancy
6 Tocopherol 2/5 · Mild risk Safe
1 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride 1/5 · Low Safe
9 Polysorbate 20 0/5 · Low Trigger
3 Squalane 0/5 · Low Safe
7 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.

isododecanecoco-caprylate/capratetriheptanoinbakuchiolretinolubiquinonebht

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 Minimalist Retinol 0.3% Face Serum. The ingredients doing most of the work are Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Tocopherol and Polysorbate 20, which are all low-risk for pores.

Compare Minimalist Retinol 0.3% Face Serum

vs CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serumvs CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serumvs Minimalist Alpha Arbutin 2% Face Serumvs Minimalist Niacinamide 10% Face Serumvs Minimalist Salicylic Acid 2% Face Serumvs Minimalist Vitamin C 10% Face Serumvs Plum 15% Vitamin C & Mandarin Glow Boost Serumvs The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HAvs The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)

Full ingredient list

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isododecane, Squalane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Triheptanoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bakuchiol, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10), BHT

Source: official Minimalist 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 Minimalist Retinol 0.3% Face Serum pore-clogging?

Mild risk. No heavy pore-cloggers found, but 1 ingredient is rated 2. Most people are fine; very acne-prone skin should watch for small bumps.

Is Minimalist Retinol 0.3% Face Serum safe for fungal acne?

No. It contains Polysorbate 20, which can feed Malassezia yeast.

What is the clean score of Minimalist Retinol 0.3% Face Serum?

Minimalist Retinol 0.3% Face Serum scores 63% on our pore-clog and fungal-acne scan, based on 4 recognised ingredients out of 11.

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