Pore-clogging ingredients / Comedogenic oils and butters
Comedogenic oils and butters
Plant oils and butters are the most common reason a 'natural' or 'clean' product breaks someone out. The pattern behind the ratings is fatty-acid balance: oils high in oleic acid or long-chain saturated fats (coconut, cocoa butter, wheat germ) clog readily, while oils high in linoleic acid mostly don't.
These are the oils and butters our checker flags. If an oil you're looking for isn't here, it isn't on the published pore-clogger lists; safflower, hemp seed, argan, and jojoba are the usual safe swaps.
| Ingredient | Rating | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat Germ OilTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil | 5/5 | high |
| Shea ButterButyrospermum Parkii Butter | 4/5 | high |
| Coconut Butter | 4/5 | high |
| Coconut OilCocos Nucifera Oil | 4/5 | high |
| Palm Kernel OilElaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil | 4/5 | moderate |
| Palm OilElaeis Guineensis Oil | 4/5 | low |
| Flaxseed OilLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil | 4/5 | high |
| Cocoa ButterTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter | 4/5 | high |
| Coconut Alkanes | 3/5 | moderate |
| Soybean OilGlycine Soja Oil | 3/5 | moderate |
| Cottonseed OilGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil | 3/5 | moderate |
| Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil | 3/5 | moderate |
| Mink Oil | 3/5 | moderate |
| Avocado OilPersea Gratissima Oil | 3/5 | low |
| Marula OilSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil | 3/5 | low |
| Sesame OilSesamum Indicum Seed Oil | 3/5 | low |
| Turkey Red OilSulfated Castor Oil | 3/5 | moderate |
| Sulfated Jojoba Oil | 3/5 | moderate |
| Wheat Germ Glycerides | 3/5 | moderate |
| Corn OilZea Mays Oil | 3/5 | moderate |
| Peanut OilArachis Hypogaea Oil | 2/5 | low |
| Olive OilOlea Europaea Fruit Oil | 2/5 | low |
| Sweet Almond OilPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil | 2/5 | low |
| Squalene | 2/5 | low |
Non-comedogenic swaps
Rated 0–1 across the published lists: the usual replacements for the ingredients above.
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Ratings come from published comedogenicity research and esthetician-maintained lists. They are imperfect and formulation-dependent, and this page isn't medical advice. Last reviewed 2026-08-15 by the PorePass editorial team.