Fungal Acne Ingredient Checker (250+ Malassezia Triggers)

Say goodbye to fungal acne for good with GoodGlow’s Fungal Acne Ingredient Checker. Simply paste the ingredients of any skincare product below and run it against 257 ingredients medically reviewed by our dermatology team to trigger fungal acne breakouts. Remember to bookmark this page so you can come back to it if you need to check any more products!

Where Can I Find Fungal Acne Safe Products?

You can find fungal acne-safe face wash, fungal acne-safe moisturizer, and fungal acne-safe makeup products by clicking on the links above. Our medical team of dermatologists and estheticians have analyzed all the products in these lists to ensure their safety and efficacy for treating fungal acne-prone skin. 

What is the best way to use GoodGlow’s Fungal Acne Ingredient Checker?

Step 1: Find the ingredients label of the skincare product you want to check for fungal acne safety. If browsing the product online, you should be able to copy the ingredient list easily. If you have the product in hand and cannot find it online, you can take a picture of the ingredients label on your smartphone and press down on the text. Both the iPhone and Google Pixel can copy the text from the image.

Step 2: Paste the ingredients into GoodGlow’s fungal acne ingredient checker and then click “check ingredients.”

Step 3: Analyze the results and determine if you are comfortable using the product you checked in the fungal acne calculator. 

Step 4: Compare the product you analyzed to GoodGlow’s vetted list of fungal acne-safe products to determine what is best for your situation.

What is Fungal Acne?

Although the two sound similar, fungal acne (scientifically known as Malassezia folliculitis) is a completely separate skin condition from normal acne. Fungal acne is an overgrowth of yeast (Malassezia species) in hair follicles that exists naturally on the skin, whereas normal acne is inflamed pores that are clogged with oil, dirt, and debris. Unlike traditional acne, fungal acne is caused by bacteria and clogged pores, fungal acne is driven by yeast proliferation within hair follicles. Fungal acne frequently presents as small, uniform pustules or bumps, commonly on the chest, back, and forehead. Factors like prolonged antibiotic use, a weakened immune system, or a humid environment can exacerbate its growth. Treatment typically involves antifungal medications rather than conventional acne remedies.

What Are The Primary Triggers of Fungal Acne?

Fungal acne breakouts are primarily triggered by environmental, skincare product use, and dietary changes. More often than not fungal acne breakouts are a combination of environmental and dietary factors that all need to be fixed to address the root cause of fungal acne breakouts. 

Common Skincare Ingredients That Cause Fungal Acne

Using the wrong skincare products is the most common cause of fungal acne. See the most common fungal acne ingredient triggers below: 

• Oils: Especially those high in oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acid, create a breeding ground for Malassezia yeast development. 
• Fermented ingredients: Many types of oils such as Galactomyces and Saccharomyces are desirable food sources for Malassezia yeast and can assist fungal acne development. 
• Certain emollients and fatty alcohols: Both emollients and fatty alcohols contain lipids that allow Malassezia yeast to feed and grow.
• Non-breathable makeup: Trapping moisture and heat against your skin can create an environment that allows yeast to spread. If using makeup products, make sure to use something breathable that does not prevent your pores from coming into contact with the air. 

Common Dietary Fungal Acne Triggers

Diet plays a significant role in general skin health, including yeast growth, aging, and inflammation. Below you can find a few of the most common foods that can help develop fungal acne:

• High sugar intake: Yeasts thrive on sugars, potentially leading to an overgrowth. If you consume a high sugar diet it is more likely fungal acne will be able to proliferate on your skin.
• Excessive dairy consumption: Dairy is inflammatory and spikes insulin for most people and there is anecdotal evidence that dairy consumption can exacerbate yeast overgrowth. If you are currently dealing with fungal acne it is best to avoid dairy, however, if you do not currently have fungal acne, limited dairy consumption should be fine.
• High alcohol consumption: Alcohol is inflammatory, and many drinks, like beer, contain yeast, which can trigger fungal acne. 

Common Environmental Fungal Acne Triggers

Environment, specifically humidity, plays a large role in the growth of yeast and fungal acne: Find some of the most common environmental triggers below:

• Humidity: Yeast grows best in warm, moist environment. So avoid steam rooms, using humidifiers, and spending extended periods outside during high-humidity days. 
• Tight clothing: Spandex and workout clothing can trap sweat against the skin, which creates a desirable environment for yeast growth. Avoid wearing this type of clothing when possible and change out of it as soon as you cannot avoid wearing it.
• Excessive sweating: Although sweating can help clear out your pores, excessive moisture on your skin provides a conducive environment for Malassezia proliferation. If you work up a sweat during a workout make sure to immediately shower and change close once you are done.

How To Tell If I Have Fungal Acne?

Although fungal acne both looks and sounds similar to normal acne several key differences allow you to distinguish the two skin conditions. This is important because the treatment regimen for fungal acne is completely different from normal acne. Below we have a few quick tests you can run to differentiate the two conditions.

1. Fungal acne generally appears in small, concentrated clusters, whereas normal acne can generally be found all over the “T-zone” or as “one-off” pimples.
2. Fungal acne is more common on the back and chest, whereas normal acne is more common on the face and “T-zone” area.
3. Fungal acne will not improve from traditional “topical acne treatments” like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
4. Fungal acne will constantly feel itchy, whereas normal acne is generally only sensitive to the touch.

How We Assembled Our Fungal Acne Data

This tool was created with the help of several dermatologists and estheticians on our team to ensure we have the most comprehensive fungal acne ingredient checker on the internet. Although there are thousands of ingredients that can potentially trigger fungal acne breakouts, our team individually reviewed over 600 ingredients to come up with this list of 257 fungal acne triggers. We hope this helps thousands of people heal and avoid potential fungal acne breakouts by using this tool before buying new skincare products.