What “pore-clogging” actually means
When people say an ingredient is pore-clogging, they mean it is comedogenic — it has a tendency to block pores. A blocked pore traps sebum and dead skin cells, forming a plug called a comedone. Those comedones show up as blackheads and whiteheads, and they are the starting point for many inflammatory breakouts. Some ingredients, especially heavy oils, waxes, and certain esters, are far more likely to create those plugs than others.
The important nuance is that comedogenicity describes an ingredient, not a finished product. A serum can contain a mildly comedogenic ingredient near the bottom of the label and never cause a single breakout, because so little of it is present. That is why a checker like this one is a screening tool — it surfaces ingredients worth a second look, then leaves the final judgement to you and your skin.
How the 0–5 comedogenic scale works
Ingredients are scored from 0 to 5. A 0 means the ingredient will not clog pores for virtually anyone; a 5 means it is highly likely to clog pores when used undiluted. Anything rated 0, 1, or 2 is generally considered non-comedogenic and low risk. A 3 sits in the moderate middle. A 4 or 5 is high risk and worth real attention if you are acne-prone. In this tool we colour those tiers so you can scan at a glance:
- Green (0–2) — low risk, generally safe for most skin.
- Amber (3) — moderate; fine for many, worth watching on congestion-prone skin.
- Red (4–5) — high risk; best kept low on the label or avoided if you break out easily.
Where reputable sources disagree on a score, we store the range and mark the ingredient disputed rather than pretend there is one clean answer. Shea butter is the classic example: many dermatology sources rate it 0–2 and consider it well tolerated, while several pore-clogging lists rate it as high as 4.
The limitations — stated honestly
Most published comedogenic ratings trace back to studies by dermatologist James Fulton, who applied ingredients to the inside of rabbit ears and measured the follicular plugging. That method gave us the scale we still use, but it has real weaknesses. Rabbit-ear skin is more reactive than human facial skin, so it can overstate risk. Ingredients were tested at high concentration, not the small amounts used in real formulas. And the chemistry of a finished product can raise or lower the comedogenicity of any single ingredient.
There is one more practical point the ratings can't capture: position on the ingredient list. Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration, so a comedogenic ingredient in the last third of a label is usually present in tiny amounts. A rating of 4 near the end of a long list matters far less than a rating of 3 in the first few ingredients. Read the flags this tool gives you with that context in mind.
How to use this checker
Copy the full ingredient list from your product's packaging or its page on a retailer's site, paste it into the box above, and the checker parses it instantly. It normalises INCI names, resolves common aliases (so Cocos Nucifera Oil and coconut oil match the same entry), and even handles the “aqua/water” style synonyms. Each recognised ingredient gets a rating badge, a plain-English note on why it matters, and, where the flag is real, a couple of gentler generic swaps. You can copy the whole result to share or save. Nothing you paste ever leaves your device.
Frequently asked questions
What does “pore-clogging” mean?
A pore-clogging (comedogenic) ingredient is one that tends to sit in and block pores, trapping oil and dead skin. That blockage can form comedones — the blackheads and whiteheads behind many breakouts. Comedogenicity is a property of an individual ingredient, separate from whether a finished product breaks you out.
How accurate are comedogenic ratings?
Ratings on the 0–5 scale come mostly from Fulton's rabbit-ear studies, which test single ingredients at high concentration. Rabbit ears are more sensitive than human skin, and the finished formula, the ingredient's concentration, and its position on the label all change real-world behaviour. Use a rating as a flag to consider, not a verdict.
Does a high rating mean I'll definitely break out?
No. Plenty of people use ingredients rated 4 or 5 with no problem, especially when they appear far down the ingredient list at low concentration. The rating tells you an ingredient has clogging potential; your own skin, the formula, and how much is present decide the outcome.
What's the difference between pore-clogging and fungal acne?
Regular comedogenic breakouts come from blocked pores. Fungal acne (malassezia folliculitis) is driven by a yeast that feeds on certain fatty acids and esters, so the ingredients to avoid are different. Switch on Fungal-Acne mode to check against the ingredients that community sources commonly flag for malassezia.
Is my ingredient list private?
Yes. The checker runs entirely in your browser. Your pasted ingredient list is never uploaded to a server, never stored, and never shared. You can even use it offline once the page has loaded.
What should I do if my product has a flagged ingredient?
Don't panic. Check where it sits on the label — near the end usually means a small amount. Notice whether your skin actually reacts to that product. If you're congestion-prone and it's high on the list, consider the gentler swaps we suggest for each flagged ingredient.
This tool is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have persistent or severe acne, see a dermatologist.