Comedogenic Scale: Top 100 Cosmetic Ingredients
What are comedogenic ingredients?
Comedogenic ingredients can cause comedones or black/whiteheads when used on oily or acne-prone skin. These substances are thick enough to prevent oil glands from opening, causing acne. The comedogenicity (number on comedogenic scale) of a substance is determined using a rabbit ear assay.
What are the different grades on comedogenic scale mean?
Comedogenic ingredients on comedogenic scale are classified as follows:
- Grade 0: Non-Comedogenic. Will not clog pores.
- Grade 1: Low comedogenicity.
- Grade 2: Moderately low comedogenicity.
- Grade 3: Moderate comedogenicity.
- Grade 4: Fairly high comedogenicity.
- Grade 5: High comedogenicity.
Grades 1 to 2 are considered less comedogenic on comedogenic scale, and grades 3 to 5 are considered very comedogenic. You should avoid products on comedogenic scale with grade 3–5 comedogenic ingredients, regardless of their position on the ingredient list. If 1-2 comedogenic ingredients appear at the beginning of the ingredients list, then it should be avoided also.
What does “non-comedogenic” mean?
The term “non-comedogenic” refers to a final product that has been examined for comedogenicity and found to be free of comedones on comedogenic scale during testing. Individual comedogenic chemicals may lose their comedogenicity when mixed with other ingredients or diluted to lesser amounts; therefore, such testing is a better guide.
List of common comedogenic ingredients
| Ingredient | Comedogenic Grade |
|---|---|
| Acetylated lanolin alcohol | 4 |
| Almond oil | 2 |
| Apricot kernel oil | 2 |
| Avocado oil | 2 |
| Beeswax | 2 |
| Butyl stearate | 3 |
| Capric acid | 2 |
| Caprylic acid | 1 |
| Carnuba wax | 1 |
| Ceteareth 20 | 4 |
| Ceteareth-20 | 2 |
| Cetyl acetate | 4 |
| Cetyl alcohol | 2 |
| Cocoa butter | 4 |
| Coconut butter | 4 |
| Corn oil | 3 |
| Cotton seed oil | 3 |
| Ctearyl alcohol | 2 |
| D & C red #17 | 3 |
| D & C red #19 | 2 |
| D & C red #21 | 2 |
| D & C red #27 | 2 |
| D & C red #3 | 3 |
| D & C red #30 | 3 |
| D & C red #33 | 1 |
| D & C red #36 | 3 |
| D & C red #4 | 2 |
| D & C red #40 | 2 |
| D & C red #9 | 1 |
| Decyl oleate | 3 |
| Di (2 ethylhexyl) succinate | 2 |
| Dimethicone | 1 |
| Dioctyl malate | 3 |
| Dioctyl succinate | 3 |
| Eicosanoic acid | 2 |
| Ethylhexyl palmitate | 4 |
| Ethylhexyl pelargonate | 2 |
| Evening primrose oil | 3 |
| Glyceryl tricapylo/caprate | 1 |
| Glyceryl stearate NSE | 1 |
| Glyceryl stearate SE | 3 |
| Glyceryl-3-diisostearate | 4 |
| Hexylene glycol | 2 |
| Hydrogenated vegetable oil | 3 |
| Isocetyl alcohol | 4 |
| Isodecyl oleate | 2 |
| Isopropyl isostearate | 5 |
| Isopropyl linolate | 4 |
| Isopropyl myristate | 5 |
| Isopropyl palmitate | 4 |
| Isostearyl isostearate | 4 |
| Isostearyl neopentanoate | 3 |
| Jojoba oil | 2 |
| Lanolin wax | 1 |
| Laureth-23 | 3 |
| Laureth-4 | 5 |
| Lauric acid | 4 |
| Mink oil | 2 |
| Myristic acid | 3 |
| Myristyl lactate | 4 |
| Myristyl myristate | 5 |
| Myristyl alcohol | 2 |
| Oleth-10 | 2 |
| Oleth-20 | 1 |
| Oleth-3 | 5 |
| Oleth-3 phosphate | 2 |
| Oleth-5 | 3 |
| Oleyl alcohol | 4 |
| Olive oil | 2 |
| Palmitic acid | 2 |
| Peanut oil | 2 |
| PEG 100 distearate | 2 |
| PEG 15 0 distearate | 2 |
| PEG 16 lanolin (Solulan 16) | 4 |
| PEG 20 stearate | 1 |
| PEG 200 dilaurate | 3 |
| PEG 8 castor oil | 1 |
| PEG 8 stearate | 3 |
| PG caprylate/caprate | 2 |
| PG dicaprylate/caprate | 1 |
| PG dipelargonate | 2 |
| PG monostearate | 2 |
| Phytantriol | 2 |
| Polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate | 4 |
| PPG 10 cetyl ether | 3 |
| PPG 2 myristyl propionate | 3 |
| PPG 5 Ceteth 10 phosphate | 4 |
| Sandalwood seed oil | 2 |
| Sesame oil | 3 |
| Shark liver oil | 3 |
| Sorbitan isostearate | 2 |
| Sorbitan oleate | 3 |
| Soybean oil | 3 |
| Squalane | 1 |
| Steareth-10 | 4 |
| Steareth-2 | 2 |
| Steareth-20 | 2 |
| Stearic acid | 2 |
| Stearic acid: TEA | 3 |
| Stearyl alcohol | 2 |
| Stearyl heptanoate | 4 |
| Sulfated jojoba oil | 3 |
| Triethanolamine | 2 |
| Water-soluble sulfur | 3 |
| Xylene | 4 |
| Zinc oxide | 1 |
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