Pore-Clogging Ingredient Checker: Is Your Product Non-Comedogenic?

What "comedogenic" actually means

A comedo is a blocked follicle — the blackhead or closed bump that forms when dead skin cells and oil are trapped instead of shedding. An ingredient described as comedogenic is one that, on its own, has been associated with encouraging that blockage. The familiar 0 to 5 scale is a ranking convention rather than a regulated measurement: zero means an ingredient has not been associated with blocked follicles, and five means it sits at the top of the tables that circulate among formulators and acne-focused communities.

How to find the INCI list on packaging

INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients — the standardized naming system that lets the same ingredient be listed identically worldwide. You will usually find it in small print on the back of the carton, on the reverse of the bottle label, or printed inside a peel-back panel. Botanical ingredients appear under their Latin names, so coconut oil shows up as Cocos Nucifera Oil and shea butter as Butyrospermum Parkii Butter. If the packaging is too small, the retailer listing or the brand's own product page almost always reproduces the full list.

Why "non-comedogenic" on a label means very little

There is no legal definition of non-comedogenic and no standard test a brand must pass before printing it. It is a marketing claim a company can apply to its own product based on whatever internal reasoning it likes. That is why two products carrying the same claim can behave completely differently on congested skin, and why reading the ingredient list yourself will always tell you more than the front of the bottle.

Why ingredient order matters

Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration until roughly the one per cent mark, after which they can appear in any order. A heavily rated ingredient sitting second or third in the list is present in a meaningful amount. The same ingredient appearing after the preservatives and fragrance is likely there in trace quantities and far less likely to matter. Position is one of the most useful pieces of context this tool cannot judge for you, so always glance at where a flagged ingredient falls.

What this tool can and cannot tell you

It can tell you which ingredients in a formula have a reputation for clogging pores, how highly each one is rated, and whether any two actives in the product are a pairing we have written a full compatibility verdict for. It cannot tell you the concentration of anything, how the formula behaves as a whole, or how your particular skin will respond. Rich occlusive formulas behave differently from light gels even when they share ingredients, and plenty of people use products full of flagged ingredients with no trouble at all. Use the result to narrow your suspects when you are breaking out, then patch test on a small area for a couple of weeks before committing.

For the longer explanation of how these ratings came about and how to read them sensibly, see our guide to pore-clogging ingredients and why non-comedogenic labels mislead. If you also want to check whether two actives can be layered, use the ingredient conflict checker.

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Already dealing with blackheads or existing congestion? A well-tolerated BHA works inside the pore to clear blockages that are already there — this is the one most acne-focused routines reach for first.

View on Amazon →