• The difference between acnegenic and comedogenic ingredients
• How ingredient concentration and combinations affect comedogenicity
• Two key fatty acids and their role in skincare
• How to select non-comedogenic products for your specific skin type
• A comprehensive list of natural ingredients and their comedogenic ratings
  
• Methods to evaluate product comedogenicity from the label
• Common pore-clogging ingredients to watch for in your products

WHAT IS NON-COMEDOGENIC SKINCARE?

 

Non-comedogenic skincare is a cosmetic formulated with ingredients that don't clog pores and lead to blackheads, whiteheads or breakouts. 

So the logic goes - the more comedogenic ingredients in a skincare product, the higher the chance of breaking out, especially if you are prone to acne or have oily skin. Unfortunately (or fortunately), it's not quite that simple.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACNE AND COMEDONES?

Acne is a skin condition that happens when sebaceous glands are infected; the skin develops red bumps around the infected area. A Comedo is a very dilated pore (the 'hole' surrounding a hair follicle, with or without hair) filled with dead skin cells, dirt, and sebum. If a comedo is open, the pore will look like a blackhead; if it is closed (so the skin covers it), it can cause inflammation, pimples, and whiteheads. It is the first step towards acne.

While all acnegenic ingredients are comedogenic, not all comedogenic ingredients cause acne in everyone

THE CONCENTRATION AND COMBINATION OF COMEDOGENIC INGREDIENTS CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING 

Take SHAANT, our richest oil. It is a blend of highly nourishing oils, and its viscosity (thickness) is higher than our two other facial oils in our collection, AZUR or KORU. You may think that it's a highly comedogenic oil, but in reality, it has an approximate comedogenic rating of only 1.65. This is because it's a balanced formulation of comedogenic and non-comedogenic ingredients.

Shop Shaant Face Oil 

Key fact 1 | Even if an ingredient is comedogenic on its own, if blended in low concentration (less than 5%) in a product, it might not make that product comedogenic overall

Key fact 2 | Even if a product is formulated without any known comedogenic ingredients, it can still be mildly comedogenic on the skin for some people.

Key fact 3 | When non-comedogenic skincare ingredients are blended, the combination could sometimes be more comedogenic than the single ingredients themselves.

Key fact 4 | The thickness of a plant oil does not always equal very high comedogenicity (Castor oil, for example, is very thick yet minimally comedogenic)

Key fact 5 | Water-based skincare formulations (moisturisers, creams, serums, lotions) have higher water content and are less likely to clog pores; however, they can contain some non-oily ingredients that can be comedogenic too.

Key fact 6 | Rinse off products (exfoliants, masks, cleansing balms or oils) formulated with comedogenic ingredients are not very occlusive and will not clog the pores.

KORU is a facial oil blended with low comedogenic oils with a very balanced concentration of ingredients - its comedogenic rating is 0.30.

Shop Koru Face Oil 

TWO FATTY ACIDS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE: OLEIC AND LINOLEIC ACID

Fatty acids are the main constituents of cold-pressed or CO2-extracted plant oils and butters, but two are the primary focus for skincare: Linoleic acid and Oleic acid.

The ratio of Linoleic acid and Oleic acid often determines how comedogenic or non-comedogenic an oil or a butter is for different skin types.

Linoleic acid, the 'balancer'

It is an essential building block for ceramides, one of the skin's main moisturising elements. This lightweight omega-6 essential fatty acid is ideal for oily, acne-prone or combination skin. It helps regulate sebum production, supports the skin barrier, and reduces clogged pores. Many acne-prone skins are deficient in Linoleic acid, so using oils rich in Linoleic acid can help restore balance. Skin penetration is rapid.

Oleic acid, the 'nurturer'

A rich, omega-9 fatty acid known for its deeply nourishing and softening properties. Oleic acid is especially beneficial for dry, mature, or irritated skin. It helps replenish lipids, calm inflammation, and support a resilient skin barrier. It is thicker than linoleic acid, so penetration into the skin is slower. 

Oils very rich (>50%) in Linoleic acid, with low comedogenicity: Sacha Inchi. Broccoli, Castor, Cucumber, Squalane, Hemp, Hazelnut, Kiwi, Passion fruit, Safflower, Raspberry, Pumpkin, Grapeseed, Pomegranate, Watermelon.

Oils rich (30% - 50%) in Linoleic acid, with very low comedogenicity: Argan, Jojoba, Prickly Pear, Sea Buckthorn, Shea butter, Mango butter, Cacay, Chia, Moringa, Neem, Plum, Pumpkin, Rice Bran, S. Almond, Rosehip, Tamanu.

Oils very rich (>50%) in Oleic acid, comedogenic: Wheatgerm, Palm, Cocoa butter, Cupuacu butter, Soybean.

Oils rich (30% - 50%) in Oleic acid, mildly comedogenic: Apricot, Avocado, Marula, Camellia, Evening Primrose, Macadamia, Olive, Buriti, Carrot seed.

Lauric acid is a saturated fatty acid found in Coconut, Palm oil (from the fruit), and Palm Kernel oil (from the Kernels). It's antibacterial and could be beneficial in some cases against acne; however, it has an 'indirect' high comedogenic rating, especially with the combination of Lauric + Oleic acid.

Take AZUR, a very light yet nourishing oil formulated with balanced oils (similar ratio Oleic and Linoleic acid) such as Argan, Cacay and non-comedogenic oils such as Sacha Inchi, Watermelon, Hazelnut (high in Linoleic acid).

Coconut oil and Palm oil have a unique profile - low Oleic acid, but high Lauric acid. They have antibacterial properties but are very comedogenic.

As a general rule, oils rich in Linoleic acid are lower on the comedogenic scale than those with higher Oleic acid, except for Coconut oil and Palm oil (which are highly comedogenic).

Shop AZUR Face Oil 

PICK THE RIGHT RATIO OF OLEIC - LINOLEIC ACID FOR YOUR SKIN

1. The best way to identify which oils will work best for you is to know your skin type (oily, combination, sensitive, normal and dry)
2. Then you need to take into account your skin condition.
3. Your age will be a third factor to consider.

Loved the visual above? Download it for free in high-res. ⬇️ Download VEGETABLE OILS COMEDOGENIC SCALE At Native Essentials, we care about spreading skincare info that’s easy, honest, and useful: no AI, no myths, no fluff. If you found this helpful and want to share it, thank you! Please credit us and link back. 🩵

COMEDOGENIC SCALE OF OILS AND BUTTERS

Ingredients are generally ranked as follows:

0 – NON-COMEDOGENIC (do not clog pores)

1 – SLIGHTLY COMEDOGENIC (very low chance of clogging pores)

2 – MODERATELY COMEDOGENIC (may clog pores for some but be fine for most)

3 – COMEDOGENIC (will clog acne-prone/oily skin type)

4 – FAIRLY HIGH COMEDOGENIC (will clog pores for almost all skin types)

5 – HIGHLY COMEDOGENIC (will clog pores)

IMPORTANT - The ratings below represent a range, not definitive rules. All oils/butters have been classified in their virgin state and using samples from various suppliers.

ONE EXCEPTION - RINSE OFF PRODUCTS

Rinse-off products (Exfoliants, Masks, Cleansing balms and oils) formulated with occlusive butters and oils and at times with mild surfactants (soap) usually fit in the 'no-no' category of comedogenic skincare. However, because they are combined with a surfactant and rinsed off, they do not clog pores and actually are a good alternative to harsh cleansing products that tend to leave the skin very dry and strip off much sebum.

Take our SOLE, an exfoliant mask formulated with Olive oil, a comedogenic ingredient. Because SOLE is a rinse-off exfoliant and the concentration of Olive oil is less than 5%, we have rated SOLE comedogenic rating as 0.20.

Shop SOLE exfoliant 

OTHER COMEDOGENIC INGREDIENTS USED IN WATER-BASED SKINCARE

Some fatty alcohols (used as emulsifiers) can be comedogenic - (Hexadecyl Alcohol,Oleyl Alcohol, Socetyl alcohol, Isocetyl Stearate, Propylene glycol monostearate, Glyceryl-3-Diisostearate, Polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate,Octyl stearate.)

Other water-soluble comedogenic ingredients are: Algae, Carrageenan (gum), Sodium chloride (salt), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), Steareth 10, Lanolin, Aluminium (used in antiperspirant deodorants), Isopropyl Palmitate, Decyl oleate, Mineral oils.

TIPS FOR AVOIDING COMEDOGENIC SKINCARE INGREDIENTS:

• • • Pick the correct oils and skincare products by skin type, then condition.
    • Read the labels - the lowest concentration of ingredients is listed last. Use the above chart to identify comedogenic ingredients and sum them up. 
    • Very highly comedogenic oils, if used in very low concentrations when blended with other ingredients (less than 5%) have a little or negligible comedogenic effect.
    • To determine the comedogenic rate of a single plant oil, look at the total concentration of Oleic acid; the highest Oleic acid % means a higher comedogenic value.
    • Thick oils do not equal high comedogenicity; it's down to the fatty acid composition.
    • Coloured cosmetics and makeup, such as foundations, primers, and creamy eyeshadows, can be formulated with highly comedogenic ingredients.

And lastly

• • • Comedogenic ratings are helpful, but don't forget that they are approximate.
    • Acne breakout is not the same as a comedogenic breakout; they look different, and they are caused by other ingredients that react to a specific skin type.
    • Don't be scared if you see a product formulated that includes comedogenic oils as well. If they are listed at the end of the ingredients INCI, they are in low concentration, making the product not particularly comedogenic.
    • Thick oils do not always equal high comedogenicity.

Sometimes you may have a breakout yet have no idea what's causing it. If you don't exfoliate your skin regularly, the chances are that even non-comedogenic skincare may occasionally clog your pores.

DON'T FORGET

Skin biology varies from person to person. What clogs one person's pores might be beneficial for another. Factors like individual cell turnover rate, pore size, microbiome composition, and immune response all influence how skin reacts to oils or specific ingredients. An oil rated as comedogenic in tests may be perfectly fine for someone else.

Comedogenicity ratings can provide a rough starting point, but they don’t account for your unique skin. Always test new products slowly and observe how your skin responds.

Our Non-Comedogenic Nourishing and Repairing Picks:

Shop The Face Oil Collection

Shop Eyes & Lip Glow-Up Set

Resources:

http://www.nononsensecosmethic.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Comedogenicity-and-irritacy-of-commonly-used-ingredients.pdf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6240277/

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/543668

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272670322_Noni_Seed_Oil_Topical_Safety_Efficacy_and_Potential_Mechanisms_of_Action

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24847408/