What does "comedogenic" mean?
Comedogenic means pore-clogging. A comedogenic ingredient tends to block pores, which can lead to comedones — blackheads and whiteheads — and trigger breakouts on acne-prone skin.
The comedogenic scale (0–5)
Comedogenicity is measured on a simple 0–5 scale. The rating estimates how likely an ingredient is to clog pores:
| Rating | Meaning | Example ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Non-comedogenic — won't clog pores | Argan oil, glycerin, niacinamide |
| 1–2 | Low risk for most skin | Jojoba oil, dimethicone |
| 3 | Moderate — watch if breakout-prone | Avocado oil |
| 4–5 | High — common breakout triggers | Coconut oil, isopropyl myristate |
Where the scale comes from
The comedogenic scale originated from dermatology studies (notably the rabbit-ear assay used by Fulton and colleagues) that applied ingredients to skin and observed how much they contributed to comedone formation. It has since been refined by clinics and the skincare community into the reference lists used today. See our sources & methodology.
How to use comedogenicity for acne-prone skin
Ingredients are listed on a product in order of concentration, so a comedogenic ingredient near the top matters far more than one near the bottom. The fastest way to check a product is to paste its full ingredient list into our comedogenic ingredient checker — it flags every pore-clogging ingredient at once and ranks them 0–5.
Comedogenic vs non-comedogenic
"Non-comedogenic" simply means rated 0 — not known to clog pores. It is not a regulated term, so a product labelled non-comedogenic can still contain higher-rated ingredients. That's exactly why checking the actual ingredient list beats trusting the marketing claim. Browse the full comedogenic ingredients list to look up any ingredient.