How to review your skincare products for pore-clogging ingredients

April 25 2024 4:12pm

We highly recommend you review the comedogenicity (potential for blocking pores) of the ingredients in your current skincare products. Comedogenicity is a complicated subject and is not an exact science. There is limited data in the medical community and many factors can contribute to an ingredient’s ability to clog pores including how much of the ingredient is in a product. Also, some ingredients may be pore-clogging for some but not for others. Even products labeled ‘non-comedogenic’ can still block pores.

To help simplify reviewing your current skincare products and to help minimize the chances of using a product with pore-clogging abilities, we put together a list of common pore-clogging ingredients. First, google the product and find its ingredient list. Ulta and Sephora's websites tend to have ingredient lists as well. Then, check your products’ ingredient lists to make sure they don’t contain any of the following: 

  • Acetylated lanolin    
  • Acetylated lanolin alcohol    
  • Butyl stearate
  • Cetearyl alcohol + Ceteareth 20 — only when in the same formulation, not on their own.
  • Cetyl Acetate
  • Coal Tar
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Coconut Butter
  • Coconut Oil
  • Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
  • D&C red no. 27
  • D&C red no. 9
  • Ethylhexyl palmitate
  • Glyceryl-3-diisostearate
  • Isocetyl alcohol
  • Isopropyl isostearate
  • Isopropyl linolate
  • Isopropyl myristate
  • Isopropyl palmitate
  • Isostearic acid
  • Isostearyl isostearate
  • Laureth-4
  • Lauric acid
  • Lauric acid in sunflower oil
  • Myristyl lactate
  • Myristyl myristate
  • Oleic acid
  • Oleth-3
  • Oleyl alcohol
  • PEG 16 lanolin (solulan 16)
  • Polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate
  • PPG-2 myristyl propionate
  • PPG 5 ceteth 10 phosphate
  • Propylene glycol monostearate
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
  • Stearyl heptanoate
  • Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter
  • Xylene

 

Keep in mind that this is not an all-inclusive list, but it is a great place to start! If your products contain any of the ingredients listed above, we recommend looking for alternatives. You can check out our product recommendations here.