Is Kelp comedogenic?

Yes. This ingredient clogs pores for many people.

Comedogenic rating: 4/5; Highly comedogenic
Evidence confidence: moderate; Most published lists include this ingredient, with ratings that vary by about one point.
Also appears as: kelp extract, ascophyllum nodosum extract

What is Kelp?

Extract of large brown seaweeds, rich in minerals and polysaccharides, used in 'detox' masks, creams, and thalassotherapy-inspired products.

What to do if you're acne-prone

Skip it in leave-on products like moisturizers, sunscreens, and foundations if you're acne-prone. In rinse-off products the risk is lower but not zero.

Where this rating comes from

Our ratings consolidate two lineages: the original rabbit-ear comedogenicity assays published by James Fulton and colleagues (Fulton, Pay & Fulton, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1984; Fulton, Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, 1989), and the pore-clogger lists maintained by acne-specialist estheticians in the Face Reality lineage that refine those assays with decades of client observation. This ingredient appears across both lineages with ratings that vary by about one point; we show the consensus value.

Last reviewed 2026-08-15 by the PorePass editorial team.

Checking labels for Kelp by hand?

Paste any product's full ingredient list and we'll flag this and 99 other pore-cloggers, including synonyms and misspellings, in one click.

Check a product free

Related pore-clogging ingredients

Comedogenicity ratings come from published ingredient studies and esthetician-compiled lists. They are imperfect and formulation-dependent, and this page isn't medical advice. Reactions vary by skin, concentration, and the rest of the formula.