Pore-Clogging Ingredient Checker
Know what's in your products
Paste a product's ingredient list below, and this free checker will flag commonly cited pore-clogging (comedogenic) ingredients, such as coconut oil, isopropyl myristate and algae extract. It all runs in your browser: no account, and nothing you paste is saved or sent anywhere.
A pore-clogging ingredient doesn't mean you will break out. Everyone's skin is different. Your skin might do fine with an ingredient on this list and react to one that isn't. Use this as a general guide: if a product has several pore-clogging ingredients, you may want to avoid it, but finding what works for your skin is often trial and error.
What does "comedogenic" mean?
A comedo is a clogged pore. When dead skin cells and oil (sebum) collect in a hair follicle instead of shedding, they form a plug. If the plug stays under the skin it becomes a whitehead (closed comedo). If it opens to the air and darkens, it's a blackhead (open comedo). An ingredient is called comedogenic when it tends to encourage this plugging, usually by irritating the follicle lining so that it sheds cells faster and stickier than normal. Researchers call this "retention hyperkeratosis."
How to patch test any new product
Whether it's a cleanser, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen or makeup, it's worth testing any new product before adding it to your routine. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests:
- Choose a quarter-sized spot where the product won't be rubbed or washed off, such as the inside of your arm or the bend of your elbow.
- Apply the normal amount twice a day for 7 to 10 days. For a wash-off product, leave it on for about five minutes or as the directions say.
- If you notice redness, itching or swelling, wash it off and stop using it.
That method is designed to catch irritation and allergy. Clogged pores take longer to show up, because a comedo can take several weeks to form. To check whether a product breaks you out, try it on one small area where you tend to break out, like a patch along the jaw, for two to four weeks before using it all over. Add only one new product at a time so you know which one is responsible if your skin changes.
The limits of comedogenic lists
Pore-clogging lists are a helpful starting point, but they are easy to over-read. That's why this checker simply shows whether an ingredient is on the list, rather than ranking it. Here's why:
- Much of the research comes from the rabbit-ear model. Classic testing applied pure ingredients to the inside of a rabbit's ear, which is far more sensitive than human facial skin. A positive result there doesn't mean the ingredient will clog your pores.
- Concentration matters. Ingredients were often tested undiluted or at high strength. In a real product the same ingredient may make up a tiny fraction of the formula. Ingredients are listed roughly from most to least, so a flag near the end of a long list usually matters less than one in the top five.
- The whole formula matters. Other ingredients can buffer or change how an ingredient behaves. In 2006, Draelos and DiNardo tested finished products on human volunteers and concluded that "finished products using comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic." The finished product is what counts.
- Your skin and your use matter. How you react depends on your skin, so one person may break out from an ingredient that never bothers someone else. A rinse-off cleanser touches your skin for seconds, while a leave-on moisturizer or foundation stays all day.
- Lists aren't complete. New ingredients and trade-name blends haven't been tested, so "no flags" is not a guarantee.
The most practical approach is to use the checker to spot patterns. If every product you've broken out from contains the same ingredient, that's a clue worth acting on.
When to get help
If you're breaking out no matter what you use, ingredients may not be the main issue. Hormones, genetics, stress, friction from masks or phones, and your overall routine all play a part. A personalized plan can help you sort it out, and painful, cystic or scarring acne deserves a visit to a board-certified dermatologist.
Sources
- Face Reality Skincare. Client Handout: Pore-Clogging Ingredients (updated June 2023).
- Fulton JE Jr. Comedogenicity and irritancy of commonly used ingredients in skin care products. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1989;40:321-333.
- Kligman AM, Mills OH Jr. "Acne cosmetica." Arch Dermatol. 1972;106(6):843-850.
- Draelos ZD, DiNardo JC. A re-evaluation of the comedogenicity concept. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;54(3):507-512.
- American Academy of Dermatology. How to test skin care products.
Ingredient list based on Face Reality's pore-clogging ingredients handout, plus a few other widely cited pore-clogging ingredients. Last reviewed November 2026.