Cited skincare — every flag names its source, no upsell.
My

Myristic Acid

Myristic AcidBarrier

C14 free fatty acid. Feeds Malassezia growth — avoid if you have fungal acne or seborrheic dermatitis.

What it does

Malassezia yeasts (the species responsible for fungal acne / pityrosporum folliculitis) cannot synthesize their own long-chain fatty acids and depend on the host environment for them. Wilde & Stewart 1968 established experimentally that the yeast requires fatty acids longer than C10 in its substrate to grow — C12 through C24 (lauric through lignoceric) directly support growth, while shorter chains (C8 capric, C10 caprylic) and the medium-to-long-chain esters used as commercial emollients do not. Myristic Acid (C14) is squarely inside the range that supports Malassezia growth, so it's a documented fungal-acne trigger when used at typical emollient levels.

The evidence, graded

expert consensusFungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) is fed by fatty acids and esters with C11-C24 chain lengths. Oils in that range are frequently reported to worsen it, including oils marketed as pore-friendly or 'safe for acne-prone skin'. Squalane, MCT, and mineral oil fall outside the range and are typically tolerated.Rubenstein 2014 · Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology ↗

Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.

Also known as

tetradecanoic acid

Browse all 668 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.

This page is public so a shared ingredient card always has its sources behind it — and so you can check them without an account.
Want more like this?
Every evidence-based flag cites its source, Drop tells you when your routine is complete, and it helps you simplify — instead of selling you more. The app launches on iOS and Android in October 2026. Rate my routine works today at /rate — no sign-in.
See what Drop doesHow Drop works