Will This Clog My Pores??

Have you ever seen an ad for a product that seemed REALLY promising? You looked up reviews online, you checked it out in the store, you may have even received a sample at the cosmetics counter. Then you thought to yourself, "Hmmm, I wonder if this new 'wonder cream' is going to cause me to break out...." 

One way you can avoid clogged pores is to inspect the ingredients in your cosmetics like pro! Begin by checking the ingredient labels for ALL moisturizers (day creams, night creams, suncscreens), treatments (spot treatments, lightening treatments, acne treatments, etc)  and make-up products (foundation, blushes, powders, etc) first. You should concentrate on these products first because they linger on the skin longer than a cleanser or toner.  

Ideally, you want to select products that are non-comedogenic. What does that mean?? According to leading skin care expert Dr. Mark Lees - comedogenicity is the tendency of topical substances to to cause the development of comedones, possibly leading to or worsening acne eruptions. A comedo  is a clogged hair follicle (pore) in the skin. Keratin (skin debris) combines with sebum (skin's natural oil) to block the follicle. A comedo can be open (blackhead) or closed by skin (whitehead), and occur with or without acne.  So essentially, a comedo is what we all refer to as a "pimple" in its various forms.

How can you tell if a product is non-comedogenic?

Researchers have developed tests to determine if an ingredient causes comedones. Once an ingredient is tested, it is rated from 0-5. Products rated with a 0 have been shown to not produce comedones (non-comedogenic). A score of 3 or higher means that the ingredients causes comedones (comedogenic).  Below is a list of common ingredients and their ratings. Those with acne prone skin or especially oily skin should avoid products containing ingredients rated with a 3 or above.

Highly Comedogenic (4-5/5)

  • Linseed Oil

  • Olive Oil

  • Cocoa Butter

  • Oleic Acid

  • Coal Tar

  • Isopropyl Isostearate

  • Squalene

  • Isopropyl Myristate

  • Myristyl Myristate

  • Acetylated Lanolin

  • Oleyl Alcohol

  • Octyl Palmitate

  • Isostearic Acid

  • Myreth 3 Myristate

  • Butyl Stearate

  • Lanolic Acid

Moderately Comedogenic (3-4/5)

  • Decyl Oleate

  • Sorbitan Oleate

  • Myristyl Lactate

  • Coconut Oil

  • Grape Seed Oil

  • Sesame Oil

  • Hexylene Glycol

  • Tocopherol

  • Isostearyl Neopentanoate

  • Most D & C Red Pigments

  • Octyldodecanol

  • Peanut Oil

  • Lauric Acid

  • Mink Oil

Mildy Comedogenic (2-3/5)

  • Corn Oil

  • Safflower Oil

  • Laury Alcohol

  • Lanolin Alcohol

  • Glyceryl Stearate

  • Lanolin

  • Sunflower Oil

  • Avocado Oil

  • Mineral Oil

*Mildly comedogenic ingredients are generally not harmful when diluted. Check where the ingredient ranks on the ingredient label to determine level of concentration. 

Non Comedogenic (0/5)

  • Glycerin

  • Squalane

  • Sorbitol

  • Sodium PCA

  • Zinc Stearate

  • Octyldodecyl Stearate

  • SD Alcohol

  • Propylene Glycol

  • Allantoin

  • Panthenol

  • Water

  • Iron Oxides

  • Dimethicone

  • Cyclomethicone

  • Polysorbates

  • Cetyl Palmitate

  • Propylene Glycol Dicaprate/Dicaprylate

  • Jojoba Oil

  • Isopropyl Alcohol

  • Sodium Hyaluronate

  • Octylmethoxycinnimate

  • Oxybenzone

  • Petrolatum

  • Butylene Glycol

  • Tridecyl Stearate

  • Tridecyl Trimellitate

  • Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate

  • Phenyl Trimethicone

If you are using products that you LOVE that contain comedogenic ingredients, be sure to wash you face throughly each night. The less time comedogenic ingredients stay on your face, the less likely you will be break out.  

*Comedogencity list sourced from Dr. Mark Lees - Skin Care: Beyond the Basics

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