Pore-Clogging Ingredient Checker

Paste your product's ingredients and we'll highlight the ones most likely to clog pores and trigger breakouts, with a plain-English explanation for each.

Try a sample list
🔴 High risk (3–5)🟡 Low risk (1–2)🟢 Acne safe (0)
Note: Ratings are general guidance, not a medical diagnosis. An ingredient's real effect depends on concentration, the full formula and your skin type. Not medical advice.

Why do some ingredients clog pores?

Certain oils, esters and waxes sit heavily on the skin and mix with sebum and dead skin cells inside the pore. In acne-prone skin this can form a plug — the start of a blackhead, whitehead or pimple. The thicker and more occlusive the ingredient, the higher its pore-clogging potential tends to be.

The usual suspects

Isopropyl myristate, coconut oil, cocoa butter, algae extract, lauric acid, acetylated lanolin, and several D&C red dyes appear again and again on pore-clogging lists. Heavy esters like myristyl myristate and isocetyl stearate are common in makeup and can be a hidden cause of breakouts.

What to do if a product flags red

Check where the ingredient sits in the list — lower down means a smaller amount. If it's high up and your skin is breakout-prone, look for an alternative. Browse the full comedogenic ingredients list or rate a whole formula with the comedogenic ingredient checker.