Free tool

Do your products clog pores? Check the ingredient list.

This is a free pore-clogging ingredients checker: paste a product's full ingredient list and it flags the ingredients with published comedogenic ratings, honestly.

What comedogenic means

Comedogenic means an ingredient is likely to block pores and form comedones, the clogged follicles that show up as blackheads and whiteheads. A comedogenic rating is a 0 to 5 score for how strongly a single ingredient did that in lab testing. It is about pore-clogging specifically, not irritation or breakouts in general.

How the 0 to 5 scale works

The scale comes from studies that applied isolated ingredients, usually at high concentration, to the inside of a rabbit's ear and scored the follicle blockage. 0 means non-comedogenic, 5 means highly comedogenic.

0 Non-comedogenic
1 to 2 Low
3 Moderate
4 to 5 High

The honest limits: these are old, single-ingredient tests, often on animal skin, at concentrations no real product uses. A finished formula behaves differently, and your own skin has the final say. Read the numbers as a rough guide to the usual suspects, not a verdict on a product.

The pore-clogging ingredients list

Every ingredient we check, grouped by its published rating. 37 of the 77 carry a rating of 3 or higher. Names link to our full glossary page where we have one.

5 High

Ingredient	Note
Carrageenan	A seaweed-derived thickener at the top of the classic tables.
Isocetyl Stearate	A rich ester rated near the top of the scale.
Isopropyl Isostearate	One of the highest-rated esters in isolation.
Isopropyl Myristate	One of the most pore-clogging emollients in the old lab tests.
Laureth-4	An emulsifier rated at the top of the scale.
Myristyl Myristate	A waxy ester at the top of the published scale.
Octyl Stearate	Also ethylhexyl stearate; rated near the top.
Oleth-3	An ethoxylated emulsifier at the top of the classic tables.
Red Algae	Rated at the top of the algae group.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate	Rated at the top in isolation, but it is mainly a rinse-off cleanser, so contact time is short.
Wheat Germ Oil	One of the highest-rated plant oils.

4 High

Ingredient	Note
Acetylated Lanolin	A lanolin derivative that rates high; common in rich balms and lipsticks.
Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol	A lanolin derivative that rates high on the classic tables.
Algae Extract	Marine extracts often rate high on the classic tables.
Cetyl Acetate	A waxy ester rated high; often paired with acetylated lanolin.
Cocoa Butter	A rich butter rated high; fine for body, riskier on an acne-prone face.
Coconut Oil	Famously pore-clogging for many faces in leave-on products.
Isopropyl Lanolate	A lanolin ester rated high.
Isopropyl Palmitate	A light ester that rates high in isolation.
Lauric Acid	A coconut-derived fatty acid rated high.
Myristyl Lactate	A rich ester frequently rated high.
Octyl Palmitate	Also called ethylhexyl palmitate; a light ester rated high.
Oleyl Alcohol	A fatty alcohol rated high, unlike cetyl and stearyl which rate low.
Palm Oil	A rich, saturated oil rated high.
PEG-16 Lanolin	A lanolin derivative (Solulan-16) rated high.
Steareth-10	A stearyl emulsifier rated high.

3 Moderate

Ingredient	Note
Butyl Stearate	A rich ester rated moderate to high.
Corn Oil	Rated moderate on the classic tables.
Cottonseed Oil	Rated moderate to high.
Decyl Oleate	An oleic-based ester rated moderate to high.
Glyceryl Stearate SE	The self-emulsifying grade rates moderate; plain glyceryl stearate rates lower.
Isodecyl Oleate	An oleic-based ester rated moderate to high.
Isostearyl Neopentanoate	A cushiony ester rated moderate.
Myristic Acid	A fatty acid rated moderate to high.
Oleic Acid	The fatty acid that makes some oils richer; rated moderate.
Sorbitan Oleate	An oleic-based emulsifier rated moderate.
Soybean Oil	A common oil rated moderate.

2 Low

Ingredient	Note
Apricot Kernel Oil	A light carrier oil rated moderate.
Avocado Oil	A richer oil that rates around the middle.
Beeswax	Rated low to moderate across tables (0 to 2).
Cetearyl Alcohol	A gentle fatty alcohol blend, low on the scale.
Cetyl Alcohol	A fatty alcohol, low on the scale despite the alcohol name.
Evening Primrose Oil	A linoleic-rich oil that rates around the middle.
Jojoba Oil	Close to skin’s own oils; rates low to moderate.
Lanolin	Skin-like wax esters; the plain form rates low to moderate.
Lanolin Alcohol	Rated low to moderate; the acetylated and PEG forms rate higher.
Macadamia Oil	A cushiony oil that rates low to moderate.
Octyldodecanol	A fatty alcohol emollient rated low to moderate.
Olive Oil	Rich and oleic-heavy, rates moderate.
Palmitic Acid	A fatty acid rated low to moderate.
Peanut Oil	Rated low to moderate.
Sesame Oil	A carrier oil rated low to moderate; tables vary.
Stearic Acid	A fatty acid rated low to moderate.
Stearyl Alcohol	A fatty alcohol that rates low.
Sweet Almond Oil	A classic carrier oil, moderate on the scale.
Tocopherol	Vitamin E rates low to moderate; the acetate form rates lower.

1 Low

Ingredient	Note
Candelilla Wax	A plant wax rated low.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride	A light, fractionated-coconut emollient that rates low.
Carnauba Wax	A plant wax rated low.
Castor Oil	Thick, but rates low; common in cleansing oils.
Cyclopentasiloxane	A volatile silicone that evaporates; rates low.
Dimethicone	A silicone that sits on top and rinses away cleanly; rates very low.
Glyceryl Stearate	The plain (non-SE) grade rates low.
Grapeseed Oil	A light, linoleic-rich oil that rates low.
Rosehip Oil	A dry-feeling oil that rates low.
Squalane	A lightweight, stable emollient close to skin’s own oils; rates 0 to 1.
Titanium Dioxide	A mineral sunscreen; rates low.
Zinc Oxide	A mineral sunscreen and soother; rates very low.

0 Non-comedogenic

Ingredient	Note
Argan Oil	Widely rated non-comedogenic.
Glycerin	A humectant that draws in water; it does not clog pores.
Hemp Seed Oil	Very high in linoleic acid; the bottom of the scale.
Linoleic Acid	The fatty acid acne-prone skin is often low in; rates non-comedogenic.
Mineral Oil	Cosmetic-grade rates non-comedogenic, despite the reputation.
Petrolatum	Inert and non-reactive; the bottom of the scale.
Safflower Seed Oil	Linoleic-rich; one of the lowest-rated oils.
Shea Butter	Rich but widely rated non-comedogenic in lab tests.
Sunflower Seed Oil	High in linoleic acid and generally friendly to acne-prone skin.

Questions, answered

Is mineral oil pore-clogging?

No. On the published comedogenicity tables, cosmetic-grade mineral oil rates 0, the lowest score. Its pore-clogging reputation is not supported by the lab data, it sits inertly on the surface rather than sinking in.

Is coconut oil bad for acne-prone skin?

It can be. Coconut oil rates 4 out of 5, one of the higher plant oils, so it is worth being cautious with on the face if you break out easily. It is generally fine on the body and in rinse-off products, where contact time is short.

Can a product with only low-rated ingredients still break me out?

Yes. These ratings come from isolated-ingredient lab tests, so a list of low numbers is reassuring, not a guarantee. Your own skin, the finished formula, and how much of each ingredient is used all matter more than any single score.

How accurate are comedogenic ratings?

Treat them as a rough guide, not a verdict. They come from decades-old rabbit-ear studies on single ingredients at high concentration, which is not how a finished product behaves on human skin. They are useful for spotting the usual suspects, not for predicting your breakouts.

What should acne-prone skin actually do?

Patch test anything new, introduce one product at a time, and watch how your own skin responds over a few weeks. Notice the high-rated ingredients, but do not reject a whole product over one number. If breakouts persist, a dermatologist can help.

Checking whether your ingredients clash instead of clog? Use the conflict checker. Want a whole product decoded, ingredient by ingredient? Try the Ingredient Decoder.

Ratings drawn from the widely republished comedogenicity literature (Fulton and colleagues' rabbit-ear studies and the tables derived from them). How we score →