Pore-Clogging Ingredient Checker
Paste the ingredient list of any moisturizer, sunscreen, foundation or hair product and find out in one second whether it contains comedogenic ingredients.
How the pore-clogging checker works
Every cosmetic product sold in the US and EU must list its ingredients using INCI names, in order of concentration. This tool reads that list, recognises each ingredient (including botanical names like Cocos Nucifera Oil and colour index numbers like CI 45430), and looks it up in a database of comedogenic ratings compiled from dermatology studies.
The rating scale runs from 0 to 5. Anything rated 3 or higher is flagged as pore-clogging. We also show you where the ingredient sits on the label, because a rated-5 ester near the top of the list is far more likely to cause breakouts than one listed after the fragrance.
The most common pore-clogging ingredients
- Isopropyl Myristate — rated 5/5
- Isopropyl Isostearate — rated 5/5
- Isopropyl Linoleate — rated 5/5
- Isopropyl Palmitate — rated 4/5
- Myristyl Myristate — rated 5/5
- Myristyl Lactate — rated 4/5
- Ethylhexyl Palmitate — rated 4/5
- Ethylhexyl Stearate — rated 5/5
- Isocetyl Stearate — rated 5/5
- Isostearyl Isostearate — rated 4/5
- Stearyl Heptanoate — rated 4/5
- Cetyl Acetate — rated 4/5
Where comedogenic ratings come from
The scale was popularised by Dr. James Fulton's studies in the 1980s, which applied ingredients to rabbit ears and later to human backs and counted the comedones that formed. Later lists from cosmetic chemists and acne clinics refined the numbers. The method has known limits (concentration and the full formula matter), which is why this tool shows the rating and the position on the label rather than a single yes/no.
What to do with the result
If a product is flagged, the simplest fix is to look for a "non-comedogenic" alternative in the same category and run its list through the checker too: the marketing claim is unregulated, and plenty of products labelled non-comedogenic still contain rated-4 ingredients. Introduce one new product at a time so you can tell what caused a breakout.
Frequently asked questions
›What does comedogenic mean?
Comedogenic means an ingredient tends to block pores and cause comedones (blackheads and whiteheads). Ingredients are rated from 0 (does not clog pores) to 5 (very likely to clog pores).
›Which rating should I avoid if I'm acne-prone?
Most dermatologists and acne clinics suggest avoiding ingredients rated 3 or higher, especially when they appear in the first third of the ingredient list where concentrations are highest.
›Does the position on the ingredient list matter?
Yes. Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration (above 1%). A rated-4 oil as the second ingredient is a much bigger deal than the same oil as the twentieth.
›Is this checker accurate?
Ratings come from published comedogenicity studies and widely used dermatology lists, but they were measured on rabbit ears and human backs, not faces, and skin varies. Treat the result as a strong hint and patch-test new products.
›Is coconut oil pore-clogging?
Coconut oil is rated 4 out of 5, one of the most commonly flagged ingredients in natural skincare. Fractionated coconut oil (caprylic/capric triglyceride) is a different, low-risk ingredient.
›Do you store my ingredient list?
No. The check runs entirely in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.