Anyone who’s done their research on pore-clogging ingredients and products knows that this can be a very complicated topic. We’re here to break it down for you as simply and easily as possible.
First, let’s get some vocabulary out of the way. Comedogenic is an adjective used to describe the tendency to cause blackheads by blocking the pores of the skin. Most often you will see products described as “Non Comedogenic” but despite this claim you should always check the ingredients on a product before you use it on your skin. Many manufacturers will use comedogenic ingredients in their products for a number reasons, some of which we will discuss next.
These types of ingredients give the product a smooth, luxurious feel—think about your heavy hydrating makeup primers or even a cleansing balm. But the same properties that make it feel smooth make it glide into your pores and manage to stay there, blocking them and your skin’s natural process of exfoliation.
It has been found that a number of algae products are capable of strengthening the walls of blood vessels, leading some believe that they will be good to help combat rosacea. Consequently, manufacturers have put it in their rosacea products, without fully understanding that algae products are highly comedogenic. This can be a real issue for rosacea prone skin, because like acneic skin, it is imperative to avoid pore-clogging ingredients.
Some of the worst offenders of using comedogenic ingredients are natural products; many of which use bases such as coconut oil or jojoba oil. We’re not bashing organic, all natural products here. Rather, if you have acne prone skin we would recommend really taking a close look at ingredients before you wholeheartedly trust a product just because its marked “ALL NATURAL”.
Most of all, we recommend for you to consult a Licensed Acne Specialist about products and treatments that are best for you and your skin. A great line of skin care for acneic skin is Dermaverse Acne Collection. Check out some products here
The following are comedogenic ingredients you must look out for on the back of your products. We know it’s a lot, and hard to remember but avoiding these ingredients can make all the difference in your skin (Maybe try printing this out and taking it along with you when shopping for products!)
List of Pore Clogging Ingredients
Acetylated Lanolin
Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
Algae Extract
Algin (Alginic acid; potassium alginate; sodium alginate)
Butyl Isostearate
Butyl Stearate
Carrageenan
Cetyl Acetate
Cetyl Alcohol
Cetearyl Alcohol + Ceteareth 20
Cocoa Butter
Coconut Oil, Butter, Cream
Colloidal Sulfur
Cotton Seed Oil
D&C Red #17
D&C Red #21
D&C Red # 3
D&C Red #30
D&C Red #36
Decyl Oleate
Dioctyl Succinate
Disodium Monooleamido PEG 2- Sulfosuccinate
Ethoxylated Lanolin
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Glyceryl Stearate SE
Glyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Hexadecyl Alcohol
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Isocetyl Alcohol
Isocetyl Stearate
Isodecyl Oleate
Isopropyl Isostearate
Isopropyl Lanolate
Isopropyl Myristate
Isopropyl Palmitate
Isostearyl Isostearate
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Laureth 23
Laureth 4
Lauric Acid
Mink Oil
Myristic Acid
Myristyl Lactate
Myristyl Myristate
Octyl Palmitate
Octyl Stearate
Oleth-3
Oleyl Alcohol
PEG 16 Lanolin
PEG 75 Lanolin
PEG 200 Dilaurate
PEG 8 Stearate
PG Monostearate
PPG 2 Myristyl Propionate
Polyglyceryl-3-Diisostearate
Potassium Chloride
Propylene Glycol Monostearate
Red Algae
Shark Liver Oil
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Solulan 16
Sorbitan Oleate
Soybean Oil
Steareth 10
Stearic Acid TEA
Stearyl Heptanoate
Sulfated Castor Oil
Wheat Germ Glyceride
Wheat Germ Oil
Xylene
Neville Dudik, Jane. "Pore Clogging Ingredients." The Acne Treatment Center. The Acne Treatment Center, n.d. Web. 31 May 2017.