Pore Clog Checker

Is Cocoa Butter Pore-Clogging?

On the 0–5 comedogenic scale, Cocoa Butter scores a high 4–5 — so yes, it is generally treated as pore-clogging.

That puts it in the high-risk tier: on acne-prone skin Cocoa Butter is one of the ingredients most worth checking for, particularly when it appears in the first few positions on a label, where concentration is highest. Cocoa Butter is a rich, semi-solid plant butter. A thick, occlusive butter. Most lists rate it 4 while some place it at 5; either way it is high-risk and best kept off acne-prone areas. Published sources disagree on the exact figure, which is why we show the range 4–5 rather than a single score. If you clog easily, Squalane (1/5) and Mango Butter (2/5) fill a similar role with a lower rating.

Comedogenic rating
4–5/5 · High risk
Irritancy
0/5
Category
Butter
High risk · 4–5/5ButterFungal-acne flaggedDisputed rating

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3 pore-clogging ingredients found

Recognized 9 of 9 listed ingredients.

Your report: 9 ingredients checked, 3 pore-clogging

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  • Cocoa Butter
    Butter · disputed
    High risk · 4–5/5

    A thick, occlusive butter. Most lists rate it 4 while some place it at 5; either way it is high-risk and best kept off acne-prone areas.

    Gentler swaps: Squalane, Mango Butter

  • High risk · 4/5

    A whipped coconut fat with the same fatty-acid profile as coconut oil, rated 4/5.

    Gentler swaps: Squalane, Mango Butter

  • Avocado Butter
    Butter · disputed
    Moderate · 3/5

    A hydrogenated avocado fat repeatedly named on pore-clogging lists, generally in the moderate range.

    Gentler swaps: Squalane, Mango Butter

  • Glycerin
    Humectant
    Low risk · 0/5

    A universal humectant rated 0/5. Non-comedogenic and fungal-acne safe, suitable for all skin types.

  • Cetearyl Alcohol
    Fatty alcohol
    Low risk · 2/5

    A blend of cetyl and stearyl alcohols used as an emollient thickener. Rated 2/5; fatty alcohols are considered fungal-acne safe.

  • Dimethicone
    Silicone · disputed
    Low risk · 1/5

    A breathable silicone that smooths and blurs. Rated 1/5 and fungal-acne safe; occasionally blamed for congestion when layered heavily, but the ingredient itself is low-risk.

  • Squalane
    Emollient
    Low risk · 1/5

    The stable, hydrogenated form of squalene. Rated 0-1, lightweight, and one of the go-to fungal-acne-safe emollients. Do not confuse with squalene.

  • Low risk · 2/5

    Vitamin E, a common antioxidant rated 2/5. Widely used at low levels where its clogging impact is minimal.

  • Phenoxyethanol
    Preservative
    Low risk · 0/5

    A broad-spectrum preservative rated 0/5 for clogging, mildly irritating for a few.

From our data: Our database holds 7 butter ingredients and 2 of them score 4 or higher for pore-clogging potential; the group averages 2.9/5. Cocoa Butter rates 4–5/5 — 1.1 above the butter average of 2.9.

What is Cocoa Butter?

Cocoa Butter (INCI name: Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter) falls into the butter category — a rich, semi-solid plant butter. A thick, occlusive butter. Most lists rate it 4 while some place it at 5; either way it is high-risk and best kept off acne-prone areas.

You may see it on labels as Cocoa Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Theobroma Cacao, Theobroma Oil, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.

Where Cocoa Butter shows up

As a rich, semi-solid plant butter, Cocoa Butter typically appears in body butters, rich face and hand creams, lip balms, and hair masks. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 0/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.

Is Cocoa Butter bad for acne-prone skin?

For breakout-prone skin, a rating this high is a genuine flag. What matters most is where Cocoa Butter sits on the label: near the top it's a real consideration, near the bottom it's usually a trace amount.

Worth flagging: Cocoa Butter's rating is disputed. Credible sources land on different numbers, which is why we show a range rather than a single score — and why your own experience is the best tiebreaker.

Note for fungal-acne (malassezia) sufferers: Cocoa Butter is commonly avoided in fungal-acne routines, since it falls into the fatty-acid or ester families the yeast can feed on. The evidence there is looser than for comedogenicity — see our fungal-acne checker for context.

Non-comedogenic alternatives

If you're avoiding Cocoa Butter, these lower-risk ingredients serve a similar role and are gentler on pore-prone skin:

Related ingredient checks

People checking Cocoa Butter usually check these next. You can also paste a whole label into the pore-clog checker or browse the full pore-clogging ingredients list.

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Sources

Informational only, not medical advice. Comedogenic ratings are a screening guide; individual skin varies.