Pore-clogging ingredients list
All 92 comedogenic ingredients we check for, grouped by rating. Ratings come from published comedogenicity studies and esthetician-compiled lists. Each entry shows how confident the evidence is, because the sources don't always agree.
Reading labels by hand is error-prone; ingredients hide behind synonyms like “Cocos Nucifera” for coconut oil. Paste your product's ingredient list into the free checker and we'll do it for you.
Severely comedogenic (5/5)
These clog pores for most people. Avoid them anywhere on acne-prone skin, including haircare that touches your face.
| Ingredient | Also appears as | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Algae Extract | seaweed extract, seaweed, algae | moderate |
| Carrageenan | chondrus crispus, chondrus crispus extract, irish moss | low |
| Coal Tar | — | low |
| Ethylhexyl Stearate | octyl stearate | moderate |
| Hexadecyl Alcohol | — | moderate |
| Isocetyl Stearate | — | high |
| Isopropyl Isostearate | — | high |
| Isopropyl Linoleate | isopropyl linolate | moderate |
| Isopropyl Myristate | ipm | high |
| Laureth-4 | — | high |
| Myristyl Myristate | — | high |
| Oleth-3 | — | high |
| Potassium Chloride | — | low |
| Red Algae | red algae extract, rhodophyta | moderate |
| Sodium Lauryl Sulfate | sls | moderate |
| Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil | wheat germ oil, triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil | high |
Highly comedogenic (4/5)
High risk for acne-prone skin, especially in leave-on products like moisturizers, sunscreens, and foundations.
| Ingredient | Also appears as | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Acetylated Lanolin | — | high |
| Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol | — | high |
| Algin | sodium alginate, alginate, alginic acid | moderate |
| Cetearyl Alcohol + Ceteareth-20 | cetearyl alcohol and ceteareth-20, cetearyl alcohol ceteareth-20 | moderate |
| Cetyl Acetate | hexadecyl acetate, 1-acetoxyhexadecane | high |
| Coconut Butter | cocos nucifera seed butter | high |
| Cocos Nucifera Oil | coconut oil, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil | high |
| Disodium Oleamido PEG-2 Sulfosuccinate | disodium monooleamido peg-2 sulfosuccinate | moderate |
| Elaeis Guineensis Oil | palm oil | low |
| Ethylhexyl Palmitate | octyl palmitate, 2-ethylhexyl palmitate | high |
| Isocetyl Alcohol | — | moderate |
| Isodecyl Oleate | — | high |
| Isopropyl Palmitate | ipp | high |
| Isostearyl Isostearate | — | high |
| Kelp | kelp extract, ascophyllum nodosum extract | moderate |
| Laminaria Digitata Extract | — | moderate |
| Laminaria Saccharina Extract | laminaria saccharine extract | moderate |
| Lauric Acid | — | high |
| Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil | linseed oil, flaxseed oil, flax seed oil | high |
| Myristyl Lactate | — | high |
| Oleyl Alcohol | — | high |
| PEG-16 Lanolin | solulan 16 | moderate |
| Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate | — | moderate |
| Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate | — | moderate |
| PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate | — | high |
| Propylene Glycol Monostearate | pg monostearate | moderate |
| Steareth-10 | — | moderate |
| Stearyl Heptanoate | — | high |
| Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter | cocoa butter, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter | high |
| Xylene | — | low |
Moderately comedogenic (3/5)
Risk depends on concentration and your skin. Watch for these in the first half of an ingredient list.
| Ingredient | Also appears as | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Butyl Stearate | — | high |
| CI 12085 | d&c red 36, red 36 | moderate |
| CI 15850 | d&c red 6, d&c red 7, red 6, red 7 | moderate |
| CI 26100 | d&c red 17, red 17 | moderate |
| CI 45380 | d&c red 21, d&c red 22, red 21, red 22 | moderate |
| CI 45410 | d&c red 27, d&c red 28, red 27, red 28 | moderate |
| CI 45430 | d&c red 3, red 3, erythrosine | moderate |
| CI 73360 | d&c red 30, red 30 | moderate |
| Coconut Alkanes | coco-caprylate/caprate | low |
| Colloidal Sulfur | — | low |
| Decyl Oleate | — | high |
| Dioctyl Succinate | — | moderate |
| Ethoxylated Lanolin | — | moderate |
| Glyceryl Stearate SE | — | moderate |
| Glycine Soja Oil | soybean oil, glycine soja (soybean) oil | moderate |
| Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil | cottonseed oil, cotton seed oil | moderate |
| Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil | — | moderate |
| Isostearyl Neopentanoate | — | moderate |
| Laureth-23 | — | moderate |
| Mink Oil | — | moderate |
| Myristic Acid | — | moderate |
| PEG-200 Dilaurate | — | moderate |
| PEG-8 Stearate | — | moderate |
| Persea Gratissima Oil | avocado oil, persea gratissima (avocado) oil | low |
| Plankton Extract | — | low |
| Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil | marula oil | low |
| Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil | sesame oil, sesamum indicum (sesame) seed oil | low |
| Sodium Laureth Sulfate | sles | low |
| Sorbitan Oleate | — | high |
| Spirulina | arthrospira platensis, spirulina platensis, spirulina extract | low |
| Squalene | shark liver oil | moderate |
| Sulfated Castor Oil | turkey red oil | moderate |
| Sulfated Jojoba Oil | — | moderate |
| TEA-Stearate | stearic acid tea | moderate |
| Wheat Germ Glycerides | — | moderate |
| Zea Mays Oil | corn oil, zea mays (corn) oil | moderate |
Mildly comedogenic (2/5)
Low risk for most people. Listed because source lists disagree; check the confidence level before ruling a product out.
| Ingredient | Also appears as | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Arachis Hypogaea Oil | peanut oil | low |
| Bismuth Oxychloride | ci 77163 | low |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | cetostearyl alcohol | low |
| Cocamide DEA | — | low |
| Octyldodecanol | — | low |
| Olea Europaea Fruit Oil | olive oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil | low |
| Oleic Acid | — | low |
| Oleth-3 Phosphate | — | low |
| Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil | sweet almond oil, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil | low |
| Stearic Acid | — | low |
Check a product against this list
Paste any ingredient list and get an instant verdict, with every synonym and spelling variant handled automatically.
Open the checkerThis list is compiled from published comedogenicity research and esthetician-maintained lists. It's imperfect and formulation-dependent, and it isn't medical advice. Absence from this list means an ingredient isn't flagged, not that it's proven safe.