I get asked for skin care product recommendations a lot, and in the past I’ve been recommending what I’ve used and what was has worked best for me. However, I thought it was about time that I compiled a proper list of skin care ingredients that not only will not clog your pores, but are also safe to use on acne prone skin.
What does comedogenic mean and why it’s SO important
If you have acne prone skin then you will need to know what comedogenic means. In fact, you should become an expert in comedogenic and irritating ingredients in skin care.
How Comedogenic an ingredient is basically means how likely it is to clog your pores. So usually a rating is on a scale of 0-5, with 0 meaning it will definitely not clog your pores, and 5 meaning stay away from that ingredient because it’s a pore clogging nightmare!!
So how did scientists figure this score out? Well unfortunately they used the inside of rabbits ears which is really quite sad so I’m going to say a little prayer for the rabbits that sacrificed their well being for us and hope that scientists are now using different methods.
There is a similar scale for people with sensitive skin, so a score of 0 means the ingredient will not irritate the skin, while a score of 5 has the possibility of high irritation.
So if you’re got acne prone skin, you really should be looking for products that have low scores for both comedogenic and irritation. It’s just about impossible to find a ‘perfect’ product, so look for something that has scores less than 3 in the first eight listed ingredients.
There are a few websites that list both the comedogeniality and irritation grades of skin care ingredients. I’m going to list those websites so you can check the ingredients for yourself. BUT, I’d like you to keep a couple of things in mind first -
- If you’re already using a product that you love and it’s working for you, and it just happens to have some bad ingredients on the list, then so be it. Sometimes things just work when they’re not supposed to. So if it’s working, ignore this list and stick to it.
- This list does not contain a lot of natural ingredients, and I do believe that the natural way is always the better way to go …HOWEVER, if your pores are all clogged up, and you have a lot of comedonal acne, then you may need to take a little break from natural products and go for something commercial that will let your skin purge for a while. Once your skin is healthier you can always slowly start introducing the natural products back in. My skin is so clogged up so that’s what I’m doing, and it’s been working really well for me so far.
Here is the list of sites where you can check ingredients. I did want to compile my own list before I posted this article, but I’ve been a bit rushed for time and I thought this information was way too important for you to wait for. So I’ll do an update soon and post my own list.
- Become an Acne Detective
- Savvy Skin
- Comedogenic Effects of Cosmetic Raw Materials
- Dermadoctor, Comedogenicity
- Skin Care Ingredients To Avoid
Enjoy!
Fran
Fran Kerr is the founding editor of High on Health. To cure your acne, sign up to Fran's FREE acne cure mini-course or download her latest how to guide, Eat Away Your Acne.
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18 responses ↓
Do you have any tips or suggestions for large pores and black heads thats what I suffer the most with??
Thank you
Hi Nicole, the best thing to get rid of comedonal acne (blackheads, whiteheads and clogged pores) is a deep pore exfoliant such as a salicylic acid product or BHA. These products should also help refine the size of your pores, however often large pores are just a result of oily skin and/or getting older, so sometimes there’s not a lot we can do about it.
The only salicylic acid or BHA product I’ve used is Paula’s Choice 2% BHA. It’s worked well for me, and I particularly like it because it does not dry out my skin. You can read my article about it here:
http://www.highonhealth.org/product-review-paulas-choice-2-beta-hydroxy-acid-gel/
If you don’t have any inflammations you can also surface exfoliate with your favorite exfoliator or just do what I do - add baking-soda into your cleanser. Honestly, it’s the best surface exfoliant I’ve found!
And for prevention of future blackheads - make sure you balance the oil in your skin (oily skin typically produces blackheads), keep up the regular exfoliation, and eat well! Food plays a huge role in how our skin looks and acts ..so eating the right foods will stop those pores from getting clogged and balance out the oils in your skin.
Check out the food and acne section in the site:
http://www.highonhealth.org/acne-and-diet/
Hi Fran,
In the last couple years my skin has been breaking out like crazy! I have very oily skin and would like to know what I should wash my face, and what moisturizer I should use. Are there any sort of remedies I should know about for healing my acne and scars?
Also, should I be taking vitamin supplements?
Are there any vitamins that are crucial for skin?
I’ve always looked after my body and health, but my skin has always been a challenge for me.
I’m so depressed.
Wow Maria, that’s a lot of big questions
You’ll find all the answers in my mini-course. You can join by putting your details into the box on the right hand side of the page.
Otherwise post this message in the forums, because it gives us a lot more room for a discussion in there, and it will reach more people (who could also benefit from our conversation). Here is the forum link -
http://www.highonhealth.org/forums/
Just got a sulfur, sodium sulfacetamide wash from my derm. Not sure yet if its good or not. Used it 2 days so far. Definitely drying.
Hi,
On the “Become an Acne Detective” Page how come mineral oil and petroleum gets a score of 0 for comedogenity and irritability??? I thought it clogs your pores?
Alice- yeah, everyone is always amazed by that. Problem with petroleum especially is it kind of sits like a barrier on the skin, so stops any oils from getting in or out. It’s a bit like wrapping your skin is cling film. Not good.
HI Fran!, First of all I just wanted to tell you that you are awesome, I’ve been following your “7 steps to ance free skin”. And let me tell you it’s been great! Thank you so much. I started a couple of weeks ago with the steps. My skin was breaking out mildy and I used to touch of face a lot. I got tired of looking bad, since I’m 16 and go to high school I just wanted to get rid of all the acne. I have a couple of questions, I started washing my face with just water and clean&clear sensitive skin deep cleaning astringent which I use for my blackheads and pimples, it’s working OK and I just wash my face at night. I went to the website you recommned of what the ingredients really mean, and everythings great, but still I want to get rid of my Blackheads on my nose, how do I fix this. Also I have scars from acne that i never picked, but my acne lasts awhile and it stays there how can I fix this problem? Also I’ve been drinking green tea without sugar and It’s made a diference for me. Thanks to you.How many times should I drink the green tea and when? Is it ok to add sugar? What type’s of fruit should I eat to help me keep my skin clear? I wasnt sure if I should use the oil method?… And 2 more things, so sorry for all this stuff for you to cram, but wher can I get cacao beans? I don’t know where to get them we have farmers market here in Nevada but I’m not sure if its still open where else can I buy them In my state and city which is Sparks NV.
And lastly(so sorry) I also use BareMInerals for my face makeup, but I’m not sure if I its helping me? Please help. Once again thank you soooo much, you are such a wonderful person to spend time to answer these questions and help us. Your skin my the way is wonderful,and you are an inspiration. and I would love to not use chemicals, but natural things for me. Thank you soooo much again for taking time off to read this. It would mean a lot for you to answer this for me. Thanks A LOT…
Jackie
Hi Jackie-
All of your questions are answered in my free acne cure mini-course and in the acne blog archives (http://www.highonhealth.org/acne/).
Or you can join my coaching program for personal support:
http://www.highonhealth.org/coaching/
Hi there Fran,
Just checking out my favourite moisturiser which is Pevonia Botanica Mattifying Oily Skin Mask (whew!) which is great for my very oily skin….
Listen on their incrediants they have Glyceryl Stearate but on the Acne Detect site they have two listed:
Glyceryl Stearate NSE - 1 COM & 0 IRR
Glyceryl Stearate SE - 3 COM & 2 IRR
How can you tell what one the product has???
And also in the incredients (which isn’t on Acne Detect) are: Citris Nobilis (Manderine Orange) Peel Oil, Hops Extract, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Corylus Avcellan (Hazel Nut) Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Methylisothiazolinone
Any idea how bad these are?
Other than that the rest are perfect! 0 or 1’s
Hi Tania- Yeah I often can’t find all the ingredients on the lists either. Then it just comes down to trialling the product. If it doesn’t make your skin breakout within the first 5 days then it’s usually fine
You could try doing a Google search for those other ingredients.
Hi Fran!I just found CANDIDA as one of the ingredients used in my toner!!!should i continue using it?the toner is supposed to help regulate sebum production.i’m confused now. coz i remembered that u said something about candida regrowth that causes acne.pls help!thank you so much!
Hi JO, don’t worry ..that’s not the same Candida as the fungas in your body.
Thanks so much Fran,
You are such a huge help!
I’m telling anyone who will listen about you
Hi Fran,
I just discovered that Sodium Chloride (Salt) gets a score of 5 for comedogenity. Isn’t it suppose to be a good sterilizer ? When I go swimming into the sea, it usually clears out my skin ! I’ve started a week ago to put salted water on my face before bed and I am seeing improvements. Should I stop doing this ?
Marie- If it’s working for you, stick to it. There are also many different types of salts ..sea salt in particular contains far more minerals that table salt. In fact, Celtic sea salt and/or Himalayan rock salt are highly beneficial and important salts to include in our diet, while table salt is bad for us.
So I’m guessing it goes the same for our skin
HEY FRAN!!!! u rock my socks. anyway, i wanna ask you something. im just 13 (OMG!) and uh i looked up your acne thing right? and sometimes my face gets really dry and sometimes random red blotches of dry skin appear on my face. it seems so irritating and its so annoying, it just keeps randomly appearing throughout the day…. these red blotches are REALLY red and REALLY ITCHY!!!! they itch so badly. anyway, thanks for doing what you do.
usually, before these things appear, my face itches really badly, then i dab my hands on my face and then it explodes. it also appears sometimes after i eat something. is it a food allergy? dry skin? itchiness? sorry for all the questions. the redness and itchiness usually goes away after an hour or 2. then new ones appear. (i also do hav mild acne, but with these blotches it looks lik severe acne.)
How do i get rid of these…. THINGS?!?! thanks.
Anthony- Did you join the mini-course? It has heaps of stuff in there that should help. Also visit the acne archives - http://www.highonhealth.org/acne/
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