Use Them as a Guide—Not a Gospel
If you have acne-prone or sensitive skin you’ve probably seen or searched for pore-clogging (comedogenic) ingredient lists. They’re everywhere online right now and while they can seem like helpful guides, they can actually be quite misleading.
With our founder Jordan Harper’s background and education in nursing, we know firsthand that the way ingredients are formulated and blended together is what really matters for your skin. Just because an ingredient might be pore-clogging on its own doesn’t mean it will be when it’s in a product with other ingredients.
The Butter Analogy
We recently saw an analogy using butter, and it’s so on point that we have to share it with you. Imagine eating a meal that’s 100% butter. We hope none of you are doing that because… gross, right? Too much butter is heavy, it’s not exactly healthy, and yes, it could clog up your arteries if you ate a ton of it. But if you’re baking or cooking, a little bit of butter blended in with other ingredients doesn’t have the same effect. That little bit of butter gets chemically altered during the cooking process, and it’s totally different than just chewing on a stick of butter.
The same thing goes for skincare formulas! You might look at an ingredient like shea butter and think, ‘Oh no, that’ll clog my pores.’ But there’s a big difference between slathering 100% shea butter on your face or body versus using a product with less than 1% of it. That small amount, combined with other ingredients, isn’t going to have the same pore-clogging effect for the vast majority of people.
The Form and Percentage Matter
Now, let’s break this down a bit more. Ingredients can come in all sorts of forms—solid, liquid, oil, powder—and when they’re mixed in a formula, their behavior can change completely. That’s why the percentage and the form of each ingredient are so vital, not just if a particular ingredient is listed on products period.
In a skincare formula, one ingredient might be added to balance another, or it might be in such a low concentration that it doesn’t have the same impact as it would on its own. What really counts is the overall formula and how it’s designed to work for your skin. So don’t stress out over seeing one ingredient from a pore-clogging list in a product! Look at the formula as a whole. You can always reach out to us or talk to your local derm office with particular questions about a single ingredient or your skin concerns.
And we get it, especially if you have acne-prone skin. It can be so tempting to long for clear, straightforward answers. We all wish it was as simple as ‘avoid these five ingredients and you’re safe.’ But it’s just not realistic.
Yes, those online comedogenic lists seem to be that simple solution you’re looking for, but they usually don’t include percentages or forms of each ingredient. So even if a product has an ingredient that’s technically considered pore clogging, it doesn’t mean that products it’s used in will clog pores. You’d have to test that exact ingredient at that exact percentage across a ton of products to get a clear answer—and honestly, that’s just not practical for most of us.
What We Suggest If You’re Prone To Clogged Pores
If you’ve started using a new product and your skin is going through a purging phase—meaning those first few weeks where you might see an increase in breakouts—that’s actually normal. It’s just your skin adjusting to the new product, especially if it’s something active like a retinoid.
But if you’ve made it through that phase and you’re still breaking out after a month or so, that’s a pretty good sign that your skin doesn’t like the overall formulation. And that’s okay! Not every product will be a perfect fit for every skin type. There are other options out there, and it’s okay to try something else.
So, fellow acne-prone skin friends, here’s the message for you: don’t let those pore-clogging ingredient lists scare you away from amazing products. Skincare professionals and scientists work hard to create formulas that help your skin, even if they include ingredients that might be comedogenic on their own in pure, dense forms. It’s all about the big picture. That’s the beauty of science.
We hope this blog gives you some peace of mind instead of fear-causing lists. If you have any questions about ingredients or specific products, DM us on socials or email us. Our team would love to help however we can.
