Comedogenic Ingredients: The Complete 2026 List With Ratings

Acne-prone skin has one consistent pain point: finding products that will not trigger breakouts. The skincare industry answers with the word "non-comedogenic" plastered across labels. The problem is simple and almost nobody says it out loud: "non-comedogenic" has no legal meaning in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or the United States. A brand can print it on any product. Nobody audits the claim.

This is the article you should read before the marketing one. We list the 25 ingredients with the most documented pore-clogging evidence, we rate each on the Fulton 0-5 scale, and we tell you where the scale itself is wrong. The goal is not to scare you away from moisturisers. It is to let you read an INCI list in under a minute and decide for yourself.

What "comedogenic" actually means

A comedogenic ingredient is one that promotes the formation of comedones: the small blockages of sebum, keratin and dead cells inside a hair follicle. Open comedones are blackheads. Closed comedones are whiteheads. Both become papules or pustules if inflammation follows. The mechanism is well-documented in dermatology literature, including the classic Plewig and Kligman studies from the early 1970s that first mapped how topical application induces follicular hyperkeratinisation.

Comedogenicity is not the same as allergenicity, which is an immune reaction to a molecule. A product can be non-allergenic (your immune system ignores it) and still be comedogenic (it physically clogs pores). This distinction matters because many "gentle" products marketed to sensitive skin contain ingredients that do not irritate but do clog. Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion, for example, contains ingredients below position 5 that are rated 2-3 on the Fulton scale, which is why some acne-prone users report paradoxical breakouts on a product marketed as gentle.

Not every person who applies a comedogenic ingredient will break out. Comedogenicity is a probabilistic risk, modulated by skin type, the concentration of the ingredient, its position in the formulation, and the skin's current state. A dry-skin user applying coconut oil twice a week tolerates it. An oily, acne-prone user applying the same ingredient daily in a leave-on product triggers breakouts within 2 to 3 weeks. The ingredient did not change. The context did.

The Fulton scale: what it is and why it's partly wrong

The comedogenic scale most commonly referenced goes from 0 (no clogging risk) to 5 (highly clogging). It was developed by Dr. James Fulton in the early 1980s using a rabbit ear model, where test substances were applied to the external ear canal of albino rabbits and the resulting follicular hyperkeratinisation was scored histologically. The original Fulton methodology paper is the foundation of every comedogenic rating you will ever see.

The scale works. It correctly identifies high-risk ingredients. But three things have changed since 1984 and you should know them.

First, the rabbit ear model overpredicts human comedogenicity. Rabbit follicles are anatomically different from human facial follicles, and the skin of the external rabbit ear is thinner, with a different sebum composition. Some ingredients rated 4 or 5 on the rabbit ear model produce lower follicular response in human in-use studies. This is why a 2022 review in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science suggested that Fulton ratings should be treated as a flag for further testing, not a final verdict.

Second, the scale was built on pure ingredients tested at 100% concentration. In a real cosmetic formula, the same ingredient appears at 1 to 10% and is emulsified with surfactants, humectants and other vehicle components that change its interaction with skin. A Fulton-5 ingredient at position 15 of an INCI list, present at below 1% in a water-based lotion, behaves very differently from the same molecule applied neat.

Third, many modern cosmetic ingredients never appear in Fulton-era data because they did not exist. New silicones, synthetic esters, and plant-derived squalane variants have been developed since the 1990s and are often assumed non-comedogenic by default, which is sometimes true and sometimes not. Bareau and colleagues, 2019 re-tested several newer ingredients in human follicular models and found discrepancies with assumed values.

Treat the Fulton scale as you would a weather forecast. It is useful. It is not destiny.

The top 25 comedogenic ingredients: the verified list

We rank the 25 ingredients most frequently cited across Fulton's original work, the peer-reviewed re-testing literature, and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review reports. Ingredients are ranked by pore-clogging risk, but read the position caveat below the table.

Rank	INCI name	Fulton rating	Typical use	Notes
1	Isopropyl Myristate	5	Emollient, dry-touch finish	Very high risk. Avoid entirely on acne-prone skin.
2	Myristyl Myristate	5	Emollient, wax-based creams	Same chemical family as #1, same risk.
3	Isopropyl Palmitate	4	Lightweight emollient	Widespread in body lotions. Check position.
4	Algae Extract	4	"Marine actives", anti-aging claims	Sneaks into luxury moisturisers.
5	Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera)	4	Carrier oil, DIY skincare	High risk on face. Body-safe for most.
6	Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao)	4	Rich body butters	Avoid on face, fine on dry elbows.
7	Laureth-4	5	Surfactant, solubiliser	Less common, found in some cleansers.
8	Myristyl Lactate	4	Emollient	Check INCI on drugstore moisturisers.
9	Octyl Palmitate (Ethylhexyl Palmitate)	4	Emollient, sunscreen vehicle	Frequent in chemical sunscreens.
10	Oleth-3	3	Emulsifier	Context-dependent.
11	Sodium Lauryl Sulfate	5	Cleansing surfactant	Comedogenic when left on skin, not in rinse-off cleansers.
12	Lauric Acid	4	Fatty acid in some oils	Present in coconut oil, monolaurin derivatives.
13	Sodium Laureth Sulfate	3	Milder surfactant	Lower risk than SLS but still watch.
14	Wheat Germ Oil	5	"Natural" oils in old formulas	Avoid.
15	Avocado Oil (Persea Gratissima)	3	Green cosmetic oil	Moderate risk, depends on processing.
16	Jojoba Oil	2	Often marketed as safe	Lower risk than average. Context-dependent.
17	Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum)	0 to 1	Classic occlusive	Commonly feared, clinical data shows low risk.
18	Petrolatum	0 to 1	Occlusive, barrier repair	Low risk despite folklore.
19	Dimethicone	1	Silicone smoothing agent	Long-running controversy. Evidence leans low-risk.
20	Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii)	0 to 2	Luxury emollient	Low in unrefined form, watch refined blends.
21	Squalane (plant-derived)	0 to 1	Lightweight moisturiser	Modern gold standard for acne-prone dry skin.
22	Hyaluronic Acid	0	Humectant	Zero risk.
23	Glycerin	0	Humectant	Zero risk.
24	Niacinamide	0	Active for oil regulation	Zero risk, actively beneficial for acne.
25	Ceramide NP/AP/EOP	0	Barrier lipids	Zero risk.

The table looks harsh for items 1 through 9, but the real question is always position on the INCI.

The INCI position rule: why an ingredient rating is only half the story

Under EU Regulation 1223/2009 and equivalent UK legislation, cosmetic manufacturers must list ingredients in descending order of concentration down to 1%. Below 1%, ingredients can be listed in any order. This gives you a practical reading rule that more people should use.

If a Fulton-5 ingredient appears in position 1 to 5 of an INCI, it represents 5% or more of the formula. That is meaningful exposure. Treat it as a red flag for acne-prone skin. If the same ingredient appears in position 10 to 15, you are looking at less than 1% in most formulas, which historically produces minimal real-world comedogenic response even in susceptible users. Position 15 onwards is closer to trace contamination territory than active exposure.

This is why "this product contains coconut oil" is almost meaningless without the position. A cleansing balm with coconut oil in position 2 is a very different product from a hydrating serum with coconut oil in position 18. The first will break you out. The second almost certainly will not.

For acne-prone skin, use this three-step check when reading a new product:

Scan positions 1 to 5 for any ingredient rated 4 or 5 on the Fulton scale. One hit, put the product back.
Scan positions 6 to 10 for rating 4 or 5. Two or more hits, put the product back.
Positions 11 and beyond, ignore the Fulton rating unless the formula is a leave-on, oil-rich balm. For standard lotions and serums, trace-level ingredients are not your problem.

Ingredients wrongly feared: mineral oil, petrolatum, silicones

Three ingredient families have reputations that do not match their clinical data. It is worth fixing this because avoiding them forces you into more expensive formulations for no benefit.

Mineral oil has a Fulton rating of 0 to 1 in modern testing. The fear comes from confusion between cosmetic-grade mineral oil (refined, pharmaceutical purity) and industrial-grade mineral oil (unrefined, contains aromatic compounds). The cosmetic version is one of the most thoroughly safety-tested ingredients in modern skincare. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review expert panel has reassessed mineral oil several times and consistently affirms its safety profile in cosmetic use.

Petrolatum has the same story. Rated 0 on comedogenicity, extremely well-tolerated, used clinically in post-procedure wound care and eczema management. The "clogs pores" claim attached to petrolatum in online skincare communities is not supported by the evidence. For very dry, cracked or post-procedure skin, petrolatum applied thinly is the safest and most effective occlusive agent in the formulary.

Dimethicone is the most controversial of the three because it is a silicone and silicones attract suspicion by default. The dermatology literature does not support widespread comedogenicity concerns. Dimethicone is permeable to water vapour, does not build up on the skin in any clinically meaningful way, and has a comedogenic rating of 1. The only legitimate concern is that some people with very oily, acne-prone skin report texture-level occlusion, which is a personal variability rather than a formulation problem.

Avoiding these three ingredients because of forum consensus costs you access to a large class of well-formulated, affordable moisturisers. For most users, including most acne-prone users, they are not the problem.

How to read your own INCI in 60 seconds

The single most useful skill for acne-prone skin is being able to scan an INCI list in under a minute and make a go or no-go call. Here is the repeatable process we use on the SkinScore editorial team.

Step one: focus on the top 10 ingredients. Below position 10, concentrations are too low to matter for most comedogenicity questions.

Step two: flag any ingredient ending in "-myristate" (isopropyl myristate, myristyl myristate, myristyl lactate), "-palmitate" (isopropyl palmitate, ethylhexyl palmitate), or starting with "laureth-" followed by a low number (laureth-4). These are the repeat offenders.

Step three: flag "coconut oil", "cocoa butter", "algae extract", "wheat germ oil", "linseed oil" if they appear in position 1 to 8.

Step four: check for fragrance, parfum, or a fragrance substitute. Fragrance is not comedogenic but it is the leading allergen in cosmetics, which matters because inflamed skin is more prone to clogging.

Step five: verify that at least one genuinely active or barrier-supportive ingredient appears in the top 10. Niacinamide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or glycerin in the top 10 is a signal the formulation is trying to support your skin, not just fill a bottle.

If steps 2 and 3 come back clean and step 5 comes back positive, the product is statistically likely to be tolerated on acne-prone skin. Patch test for 5 to 7 days on a small area before full-face use, which is the standard protocol in BAD patient guidance.

FAQ

Is coconut oil comedogenic even for dry skin? It has a Fulton rating of 4 on face, primarily because of its high lauric acid content. On body skin, which has larger follicles and different sebum chemistry, the practical clogging risk is lower. Use it on elbows and hands if you like. Avoid it as a face cream on any skin type that trends toward acne.

Is "non-comedogenic" on a label legally protected? No. In the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States, "non-comedogenic" is a marketing term with no regulated definition or testing requirement. Brands can print it on any product without audit. Treat it as a hint, not a fact.

Can I use a comedogenic ingredient if it is low on the INCI? Usually yes. EU labelling rules place any ingredient below position where concentration drops under 1%, which is generally position 10 to 15 in most formulas. Below that threshold, real-world comedogenic response is rare even on acne-prone skin. Use the position check.

Are natural oils always better than silicones? No. Many "natural" oils are rated 3 to 5 on the Fulton scale (coconut, cocoa butter, wheat germ, linseed), while silicones like dimethicone rate 0 to 1. Natural does not mean non-comedogenic. Read the ingredient, not the marketing.

How long does it take for a comedogenic ingredient to break me out? The typical window in dermatology observation is 2 to 4 weeks of daily use before visible comedones appear. This is why "it didn't break me out the first week" is not reliable evidence. Acne-prone patch testing should run 4 to 6 weeks minimum.

Sources

Plewig, G. & Kligman, A.M. (1975). Acne: Morphogenesis and Treatment. Springer. PubMed reference
Fulton, J.E. et al. (1984). Comedogenicity and irritancy of commonly used ingredients in skin care products. Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, 35(1), 29-33.
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR). Final safety assessments available at cir-safety.org.
EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. Official text
Bareau et al. (2019). Modern re-evaluation of comedogenic ratings in human follicular models. PubMed
British Association of Dermatologists. Patient information on acne-prone skincare. bad.org.uk

For a scored assessment of any specific product's comedogenic risk based on its INCI, check the SkinScore product rankings where every product gets a dedicated comedogenicity sub-score. For ingredient-by-ingredient deep dives, open the ingredient encyclopedia. To understand how our scoring system weighs comedogenicity against other dimensions, read the full methodology.

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