Comedogenic Ingredients and Acne-Causing Ingredient Checker

Looking for information on comedogenic ingredients? Our up-to-date pore clogging ingredient checker has a list of the most common ingredients that cause clogged pores and acne.

You can find the complete list in alphabetical order at the end of this blog.

Comedogenic ingredients are the terrible for acne-prone skin When pores are clogged, comedones (clusters of oil, dirt, and bacteria) can form on the skin.

If you have oily, acne prone skin or commonly get clogged pores, avoid these ingredients in skin care products.

To find out if your skin type and determine if you need to avoid comedogenic ingredients, take the our skin type questionnaire!

What Are The Most Common Comedogenic Ingredients?

While there are many pore clogging ingredients, some are more popular in skincare than others. Whether an ingredient is popular or not, if it is comedogenic, it is still the worst for acne prone skin

Some especially common ingredients known to be comedogenic are: (1-5)

1. Beeswax:

Beeswax is a popular ingredient in all kinds of skincare and makeup products, such as foundations and concealers, but it can clog the pores and cause breakouts. Beeswax is a thick ingredient that does not allow keratin to leave pores, allowing oil, dirt and grime to sit under the skin and cause breakouts.

Interestingly, honey and some other bee products are comedogenic.

Check out this blog on honey to get the facts on its use in skin care.

2. Cocoa Butter

While cocoa butter may feel great on dry skin, it’s more than likely clogging the pores on your face; an indicator of its comedogenicity is how thick and creamy it feels.

Cocoa butter fills the pores and prevents oxygen from circulating.

If you use liquid/melted cocoa butter as a makeup remover, be sure to follow up immediately after with a cleanser to get it out of your pores.

3. Dimethicone

Dimethicone is a silicone-based polymer found in many oily skin products including sunscreen. It can cause comedones, especially if you do not wash your face with a cleanser at night. Not all forms of dimethicone cause comedones, so products many vary.

4. Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Myristyl Lactate

These compounds are used in many products and are well known causes of comedones. Acne medications such as in tretinoin, Retin A, and and Winlevy contain these ingredients. Yes, acne medications! Yikes! Instances like these are exactly why understanding ingredient science is so important in designing a custom skin care regimen.

Skin care brands are allowed to call products acne treatments even if they clog pores, because they might be antibacterial or anti-inflammatory. These three ingredients in particular are easy to overlook on a label because of their esoteric names. Be sure to avoid them if you have acne prone skin.

5. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is commonly found in “DIY” skincare recipes, but it often clogs the pores for acne-prone individuals.

What is interesting is that a compound within coconut oil called lauric acid is actually used to treat acne; that is to say, some extracts of coconut oil are not comedogenic. For example, the skincare brand VMV Hypoallergenics uses a form of coconut oil that does not cause acne.

It can be confusing by just reading the label – but keep in mind that extracts are less likely to be comedogenic than unrefined or even many refined coconut oils.

6. Red Pigment

Some cosmetic colors found in blushes and lip sticks can cause comedones. Red colors are the most common problematic color in cosmetics.

Specifically, red dies made with xanthenes, monoazoanilines, fluorans, and indigoids are comedogenic. (14)

A complete alphabetical list of comedogenic ingredients in cosmeceuticals is at the end of this blog

Comedogenic vs. Non-Comedogenic

Comedogenic means “a product or ingredient that results in clogged pores” Clogged pores are also called open or closed comedones.

These are clogged hair follicles that contain a build up of keratin and debris. When the closed comedones are very deep they are called milia.

If you are acne- prone or have oily skin, comedogenic ingredients can increase the number of breakouts you experience.

Non-comedogenic means any product or ingredient that doesn’t result in comedones, milia, blocked pores or acne.

It’s essential to be aware of what ingredients cause these pink or white bumps on the skin so you can be on the lookout for specific ingredients when you’re shopping for skincare products.

Whether or not a cosmetic ingredient causes comedones depends upon factors such as:

Baumann Skin Type

Order of products in skin care routine

Sun exposure (some ingredients become comedogenic when exposed to ultraviolet light)

Combination with other ingredients and skin care products. For example Ceteareth- 20 and Cetearyl Alcohol are not acne causing when found alone in skin care products but when they are combined together they become comedogenic.

How natural ingredients are processed. Some pure forms of coconut oil are safe while less pure forms are comedogenic.

Comedogenic ingredients that cause acne

How Do We Know if Skincare Ingredients Are Comedogenic?

The first dermatologist to study comedogenic skincare products was Dr. Albert Kligman. He developed a rabbit ear model to assess which cosmetic ingredients are comedogenic. The ingredient is placed inside the rabbit ear, and then the ear is evaluated for the presence of blackheads.

In 1984, dermatologist Dr. Jim Fulton did a large study to see which cosmeceutical ingredients caused blackheads when applied to a rabbit’s ear. The data from Fulton’s study is usually found on lists of comedogenic ingredients. Other similar studies have been done on the comedogenicity of skincare products using the rabbit ear model.

These studies have resulted in a very long comedogenic ingredients list. Once animal testing fell out of favor, there was less comedogenicity testing until 1982, when Kligman described a human model to evaluate purported comedogenic products.

From these studies, we can determine that skincare ingredients are comedogenic if they cause breakouts, even if they don’t occur every time they’re used.

how to know if an ingredient is comedogenic

Comedogenicity rating system

A rating system now exists that rates ingredients on a scale of zero to five. A rating of zero means that the product is non-comedogenic and won’t cause a breakout. A rating of five means that the product has the highest chance of clogging your pores.

Kligman scale is 0-3 with 3 being the most comedogenic The scale isn’t always accurate since there are other factors that contribute to comedogenesis, but it is an excellent pore clogging ingredient checker.

The other common rating system is the Fulton 0-5 scale. Here is a chart of pore clogging ingredients tested in a rabbit ear model.

Note, this is not the full list; the full list is further below.

Table of comedogenicity ratings of various skin care ingredients

Non-Comedogenic Ingredient Examples

Many people believe natural ingredients are all non-comedogenic, but this is not always the case. Ingredients such as beeswax and wheat germ oil are natural but can clog the pores. Many also believe all oils clog the skin, and while many do, some help you fight off the bacteria that causes acne.

A few of the non-comedogenic ingredients you can use include:

Salicylic acid: Much like sulfur, salicylic acid stops excess oil production by drying the skin and eliminating dead skin cells that clog the pores.

Hemp seed oil: While many oils do cause breakouts, not all oils are comedogenic, and some oils can actually prevent acne. Hemp seed oil is one of these oils, and it works by preventing dryness, which can force the skin to produce more oil and result in breakouts. Hemp seed oil also doesn’t clog the pores as other oils do.

Argan Oil- This oil is not comedogenic and has anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Lauric acid- coconut oil extract.

Why Is There Disagreement on Which Skincare Product Ingredients Cause Blackheads and Comedones?

If you take the time to read all of the studies on skincare ingredients and their ability to clog pores, you will see differences in the studies about which ingredients cause blackheads. There are several reasons for this:

Species variations: The rabbit model does not always correlate with what is seen in humans.

Location variations: In human testing, where the ingredient was placed on the skin affected testing results. In other words, an ingredient may cause breakouts on one area, such as the forehead, and not in other areas, such as the chin. The site chosen in testing may affect whether or not the ingredient causes breakouts.

Ingredient base: The ingredient’s base can affect the testing. For example, an alcohol base versus an oil base changes how the ingredient reacts with the skin.

Application method: How roughly the ingredient is applied and the direction can affect entry into the hair follicle, which is the site of clogged pores.

Ingredient quality: Pure ingredients will react differently than ingredients that have other substances in them.

Ingredient mixtures: Mixing the ingredient with other ingredients will change the characteristics of the comedogenic ingredient. Finished products using comedogenic ingredients do not always cause blackheads because of this.

Additional products: Using the ingredient in combination with other skincare products can change the ability of the ingredient to cause a breakout. This is why it is important to consider every skincare product in the skincare routine and how it affects other products.

Some ingredints must be exposed to sun before they are comedogenic

Can a Skincare Ingredient Clog Pores Sometimes but Not Other Times?

Whether or not a skincare ingredient is comedogenic is determined by the skin type of the individual using it. In other words, the skin changes frequently, and different skin conditions will affect whether or not an ingredient will clog the skin.

Here are some of the factors that can play a role in whether a cosmetic ingredient is comedogenic:

Humidity

Temperature

UV light

Hormone status

Stress

Over exfoliation

Cleanser type

Skin microbiome

Pollution

Reactions with other ingredients

As you see, there is much variability in which cosmeceutical ingredients cause blackheads. A list of the most common comedogenic culprits follows. However, you should pay close attention to which ingredients bother your skin. If you are on the best skincare routine for your Baumann Skin Type®, you should not be experiencing breakouts.

Take the Quiz

Does Ceteareth-20 cause acne?

Ceteareth -20 is on interesting skin care ingredient because:

Found in Cera Ve and many popular products

It does not cause acne when used alone

It does cause acne when combined with cetearyl alcohol

You should not use ceteareth-20 and cetearyl together

Which ingredients become comedogenic in the sun?

These ingredients become more comedogenic with sun exposure:

human sebum

sulphur

cocoa butter

squalene

coal tar

Note that human sebum can cause acne and clogged pores when exposed to sun. So wash your face immediately after exercising in the sun.

What skin care brand is noncomedogenic?

Comedogenic Ingredient Checklist in Alphabetical Order

Having a handy list of comedogenic ingredients can help you prevent future breakouts and skin irritation. This is not a comprehensive list, but below are some common ingredients that can cause acne breakouts and blackheads, listed in alphabetical order. Look for these ingredients in each skincare product you use, especially if you are trying to treat frequent acne breakouts, and check their rating on the comedogenic scale before using them on your skin.

Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol

Algin

Almond Oil

Anhydrous Lanolin

Arachidic Acid

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Avobenzone

Azulene

Beeswax

Benzaldehyde

Benzoic Acid

Beta Carotene

BHA

Bubussa Oil

Butyl Stearate

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)

Cajeput Oil

Calendula

Camphor

Capric Acid

Carbomer 940

Carnuba Wax

Carotene

Carrageenan

Castor Oil

Ceteareth- 20 (read below about this ingredient)

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Acetate

Cetyl Alcohol

Chaulmoogra Oil

Cocoa Butter

Coconut Butter

Coconut Oil

Colloidal Sulfur

Collagen

Corn Oil

Cotton Seed Oil

D & C Red Pigments

Decyl Oleate

Dioctyl Succinate

Disodium Monooleamido

Emulsifying Wax NF

Ethoxylated Lanolin

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Evening Primrose Oil

Fluorans

Glyceryl-3-Diisostearate

Hexadecyl Alcohol

Hyaluronic acid (some molecule weights)

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Hydroxypropylcellulose

Indigoids

Isocetyl Alcohol

Isodecyl Oleate

Isopropyl Isosterate

Isopropyl Lanolate

Isopropyl Linoleate

Isopropyl Myristate

Isopropyl Neopentanoate

Isopropyl Palmitate

Isostearyl Isostearate

Isostearyl Neopentanoate

Laneth 10

Lanolin Acid

Lanolin Alcohol

Lanolin Oil

Lanolin Wax

Laureth 4 and 23

Menthyl Anthranilate

Methoxycinnamate

Mink Oil

Monoazoanoline

Myristic Acid

Myristyl Lactate

Octyl Palmitate

Octyl Stearate

Oleth-10

Oleth-3

Oleyl Alcohol

Oxybenzone

Palmitic Acid

Peach Kernel Oil

Peanut Oil

PEG 100 Distearate

PEG 150 Distearate

PEG 16 Lanolin

PEG 200 Dilaurate

PEG 2-Sulfosuccinate

PEG 8 Stearate

Pentaerythritol Tetra Isostearate

PG Caprylate/Caprate

PG Dicaprylate/Caprate

PG Dipelargonate

PG Monostearate

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG 400)

Polyethylene Glycol 300

Polyglyceryl-3-Diisostearate

Potassium Chloride

PPG 2 Myristyl Propionate

PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate

Propylene Glycol Monostearate

Pumpkin Seed Oil

Red Algae

Sandalwood Seed Oil

Sesame Oil

Shark Liver Oil

Solulan 1

Solulan 16

Sorbitan Oleate

Soybean Oil

Steareth 10

Steareth 2

Steareth 20

Stearyl Heptanoate

Sulfated Castor Oil

Sulfated Jojoba Oil

Synthetic Dyes, (D&C Red #S 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 17, 19, 21, 27, 230, 33, 36, 40)

Triethanolamine

Vitamin A Palmitate

Wheat Germ Glyceride/Oil

Xanthenes

Xylene

List of Comedogenic Oils

These oils are slightly comedogenic:

Sweet Almond Oil

Flax seed Oil

Linseed Oil

These oils are comedogenic:

Evening Primrose Oil

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Mink Oil

Peach Kernel Oil

Peanut Oil

Pumpkin Seed Oil

Sandalwood Seed Oil

Sesame Oil

Shark Liver Oil

Soybean Oil

Sulfated Castor Oil

Sulfated Jojoba Oil

Wheat Germ Glyceride/Oil

To let us help you build a noncomedogenic skin care routine, take the quiz.

DQH Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? It’s easy to create a skincare routine, but knowing how to use it is another thing entirely. In most cases, if you’re not getting the desired skin results, it could be due to the layering of conflicting ingredients. So, is it possible that salicylic acid and vitamin C are such ingredients? Or are these active ingredients the duo that’s been missing from your skincare routine? If you want answers, stick around because today we are going to explain the benefits of salicylic acid and vitamin C and how they can be used in your daily life. What are the benefits of salicylic acid for skin? Salicylic acid is one of the most commonly used beta hydroxy acids and is favored by many people with oily, acne-prone skin. This acid is derived from willow bark, and unlike its water-soluble relatives (called alpha-hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble, which means it can penetrate deeper into the lower layers of the skin. Once it reaches the lower layers, it can help unclog pores of excess sebum, dirt, bacteria, debris, and impurities. This results in clearer skin tones and greater definition. Not only does salicylic acid benefit the underlying layers, but the outer surface of the skin benefits as well. When applied to the skin, salicylic acid removes the buildup of dead skin cells. This is accomplished by breaking the bonds that hold dead cells to the surface. Over time, this can cause the complexion to look dull and prone to acne, blackheads, and other blemishes. If you’d like to learn more about salicylic acid and how it can improve your skin, check out this dedicated blog post from a beauty insider. What are the benefits of vitamin C for skin? Vitamin C is considered one of the most powerful antioxidants, which means it is very effective at fighting free radicals and preventing them from causing further skin damage. Examples of free radicals include pollution, central heating, UV rays and harsh climate. They attack proteins, fats and cell membranes as soon as they come into contact with the skin, causing signs of premature aging such as fine lines and wrinkles as well as hyperpigmentation, flaky patches of skin and loss of elasticity. Many people usually prefer to use vitamin C in their morning routine as this ingredient gives the complexion a radiant glow. You’ll also find that vitamin C can target areas of hyperpigmentation, plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The thing about vitamin C is that there are a lot of outdated studies going back to the 1950s that describe vitamin C as an unstable skin component. Thanks to improvements in modern technology, this is no longer the case as all products now contain a stable form of vitamin C. Visit The Beauty Insider to learn more about vitamin C. So please check out our blog post. Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, it’s thought that using salicylic acid before using vitamin C ensures it penetrates faster and works faster. This is an efficient way to utilize two power sources, and the reason has to do with pH. For example, the skin’s natural pH is about 4.7, making it slightly acidic. Salicylic acid and vitamin C are also both acidic, and you’ll find that vitamin C is absorbed quickly into the skin. Therefore, using salicylic acid beforehand can increase the acidity of the skin and allow vitamin C to penetrate into the skin faster. While this is considered an effective way to combine two powerful ingredients, you need to be aware of your skin type and how it reacts to certain active ingredients. Even people with perfect, normal skin can experience skin sensitivity and irritation. Therefore, always consult a doctor or dermatologist before using any new products on your skin. It’s also important to follow skin application rules. In this case, you need to use the product correctly to ensure you get the best results for your skin. If you’re not sure what I mean, the basic rule for skin is to start with the thinnest consistency and work your way up to the thickest consistency. This prevents a barrier from forming on the surface, preventing other active ingredients from penetrating the skin. Can I use salicylic acid at night and vitamin C in the morning? Yes, absolutely, this is considered the most effective way to get returns without any adverse side effects. This is because there is enough time between applications to ensure that the skin’s pH levels return to balance. You’ll also find that Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants and is perfect for use in the morning to ensure your skin is protected and looking its healthiest. Due to the small size of salicylic acid molecules, it is an acid that is able to reach the deepest parts of the skin. While this is effective at keeping skin clear, it also increases the risk of irritation and photosensitivity. Therefore, many people prefer to use powerful BHAs in their evening routine without exposure to UV rays, pollution, or harsh weather. Warning: If you avoid using sunscreen every day, none of these ingredients will do what your skin needs. The combination of chemical peels and powerful ingredients increases the risk of further damage to the skin’s surface. Use SPF 50 every day to keep your skin protected and your lipid barrier healthy, even on cloudy days, keeping your skin in top condition.

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