How to read this list
The comedogenic column scores pore-clogging potential from 0 (won't clog pores for virtually anyone) to 5 (very likely to clog when used undiluted). Green covers 0–2, amber is 3, and red is 4–5. The irritancy column is a separate axis — an ingredient can be non-comedogenic yet irritating, or the reverse. Acetone, for example, won't clog a pore but scores the maximum for irritation.
Ratings marked with a range (like shea butter's 2–4) are ones where credible sources genuinely disagree; we show the span rather than forcing a single number. And remember that concentration and position on a label matter as much as the rating itself — a red-flagged ingredient near the end of an ingredient list is usually present in trace amounts.
Want to check a whole product at once instead of scanning the table? Paste your ingredient list into the checker and it will flag everything for you.
Sources
- Fulton JE et al. — Comedogenicity of current therapeutic products, cosmetics, and ingredients in the rabbit ear (J Am Acad Dermatol, 1984) and Fulton's 1989 comedogenicity ratings — The primary published source of the 0-5 comedogenic scale.
- Platinum Skin Care — Comedogenic Ratings (comedogenic + irritancy table) — Widely republished Fulton-derived table with both comedogenic and irritancy scores.
- SkinScore — Comedogenic Ingredients: Complete List With Ratings — Cross-reference for ratings and ingredient categories.
- Kristina Markovic — Comedogenic Rating: Oils, Butters and Cosmetic Ingredients — Carrier-oil and butter ratings cross-reference.
- INCIDecoder — On Comedogenic and Irritancy Ratings — Caveats on concentration and formulation dependence.
- Lab Muffin Beauty Science — How to Use Comedogenicity Ratings — Methodology limitations of the rabbit-ear assay.
- CLEARSTEM — Pore-Clogging Ingredients List — Comprehensive alias / INCI-variant list used for name matching.
- Acne Clinic NYC — Pore-Clogging Ingredients — Reference comedogenic ingredient list.
- Simple Skincare Science — The Ultimate Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Treatment Guide & Safe Product List — Community reference for malassezia-triggering fatty acids, esters, and polysorbates.
Informational only, not medical advice. Comedogenic ratings are a screening guide, not a guarantee of how any product will behave on your skin.