Comedogenic Rating Checker

What a comedogenic rating actually measures

A comedogenic rating is a simple score that estimates how likely a skincare ingredient is to clog pores. The scale runs from 0 to 5. A rating of 0 means an ingredient is non-comedogenic and very unlikely to block pores for almost anyone. A rating of 5 means it is highly comedogenic and tends to cause clogged pores, blackheads, and the small bumps known as closed comedones, especially on facial skin. Most oils and butters land somewhere in the middle, which is exactly why a quick reference tool is so useful when you are deciding what to put on your face.

The word comedogenic comes from comedo, the medical term for a clogged pore. When oil, dead skin cells, and debris collect inside a follicle, they form a plug. That plug can stay closed as a small flesh-colored bump or open and oxidize into a blackhead. Ingredients that sit heavily on the skin or that the skin struggles to process are more likely to contribute to that plug, which is what a high comedogenic rating is trying to warn you about.

How to read the 0 to 5 scale

The checker above groups every ingredient into one of four plain-language bands so you do not have to memorize what each number means. Here is how the bands map to the numbers and to real-world advice.

A practical way to use these bands is to match them to where you plan to apply a product. On the face, where pores are smaller and breakouts are most visible, it is smart to favor ingredients in the non-comedogenic and low bands. On the body, especially on rough, dry zones like heels, elbows, and shins, a moderate or even high rating matters far less because those areas rarely break out and benefit from heavier, more protective ingredients.

Why linoleic and oleic acid change the picture

The single biggest reason two oils with similar textures can behave so differently on skin is their fatty acid balance, and the two names worth knowing are linoleic acid and oleic acid. Linoleic acid is a lightweight polyunsaturated fat that the skin barrier uses as a building block. Research has found that people with acne-prone skin often have lower levels of linoleic acid in their sebum, so oils rich in linoleic acid, such as hemp seed, rosehip, grapeseed, and high-linoleic sunflower, tend to feel light and rarely clog pores.

Oleic acid is a heavier monounsaturated fat that is softening and cushioning but can be more disruptive to a fragile skin barrier in high concentrations. Very oleic-dominant oils like olive, marula, and avocado feel rich and luxurious, which dry and mature skin loves, but they can feel heavy or congesting on oily and acne-prone faces. This is why the checker lists the dominant fatty acids on each ingredient page. If your skin breaks out easily, leaning toward linoleic-rich oils is often more reliable than chasing a single comedogenic number.

Saturated fats add another layer. Ingredients heavy in lauric, myristic, and palmitic acids, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter, are firm and very occlusive. That structure is wonderful for sealing moisture into dry body skin, but the same density is what pushes their comedogenic ratings toward the high end of the scale on the face.

Where beef tallow fits on the comedogenic scale

Beef tallow rates around 1 to 2 on the comedogenic scale, which places it in the low to moderate range. That surprises people who assume any rich, balm-like fat must clog pores. The reason tallow sits lower than you might expect is its fatty acid profile. Tallow is built mostly from oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids in a blend that closely mirrors the lipids in healthy human skin. Because your skin recognizes these fats as familiar, a thin layer tends to cushion and seal rather than smother.

Compared with the genuinely high-clogging options on this list, the contrast is clear. Coconut oil rates about 4, cocoa butter about 4, and wheat germ oil a full 5, yet grass-fed tallow stays near 2 while delivering a similar rich, protective finish. That is why so many people who break out from coconut oil or heavy plant butters find that a simple tallow balm gives them the richness they want without the congestion they feared.

The other variable is what else is in the jar. Many rich creams carry fragrance, synthetic penetration enhancers like isopropyl myristate, and a long list of fillers that can each raise the clogging or irritation risk. Misun Health keeps the formula to a single ingredient, 100 percent grass-fed New Zealand tallow, with nothing added. A shorter ingredient list means fewer variables to blame if your skin reacts, which is part of why single-ingredient tallow appeals to sensitive and reactive skin.

How to choose oils by skin type

A comedogenic number is most useful once you read it through the lens of your own skin type. The same oil can be a hero for one person and a trigger for another, so here is how to weigh the score depending on how your skin behaves day to day.

Oily and acne-prone skin should lean hardest on the rating and on fatty acid balance. Favor non-comedogenic and low-band oils that are rich in linoleic acid, such as hemp seed, rosehip, grapeseed, and high-linoleic sunflower or safflower. These feel light, absorb cleanly, and supply the linoleic acid that congested skin is often short on. Keep coconut oil, cocoa butter, palm oil, and anything rating 4 or 5 off the face entirely. If you still want a richer night seal, a thin layer of low-rated beef tallow is usually a safer rich option than a heavy plant butter.

Dry and mature skin can relax the rules a little and reach for richer, more oleic oils that cushion and soften, like marula, avocado, sweet almond, and macadamia, as long as breakouts are not a concern. The goal here is sealing water into the skin, so pairing a treatment oil with an occlusive balm at night works well. Tallow shines for this group because it both nourishes and seals while staying low on the comedogenic scale.

Combination skin often does best with a zone-based approach. Use a light, low-rated oil like jojoba or squalane across the whole face, then add a touch of a richer balm only on the dry cheeks or jaw while keeping it away from the oilier nose and forehead. Jojoba is a smart anchor for this skin type because it mimics sebum and helps balance both zones.

Sensitive and reactive skin benefits from the shortest, simplest ingredient list you can find, regardless of the exact number. Fragrance, essential oils, and synthetic penetration enhancers cause more sensitive-skin reactions than the base oil itself. A single-ingredient option, whether that is a low-rated seed oil or grass-fed tallow with nothing added, removes the guesswork about which additive caused a flare. You can explore concern-specific routines in our skin concern library.

The limits of comedogenic ratings

Comedogenic ratings are a helpful starting point, but they are not a perfect science, and it helps to know why. Much of the original comedogenicity testing was done decades ago using undiluted ingredients applied to the inside of a rabbit ear. That method is sensitive and consistent, which is useful for ranking raw ingredients, but it does not reflect how a product behaves once an ingredient is diluted into a finished formula and applied to human skin in a thin layer.

Concentration matters enormously. An ingredient with a high standalone rating may cause no problems at the small percentage used in a real product. The reverse is also true, since a low-rated oil used too heavily, layered under occlusives, or left to oxidize in a warm bathroom can still contribute to congestion. Oxidation is an underrated factor. Polyunsaturated oils rich in linoleic and linolenic acid, like flaxseed and grapeseed, go rancid relatively quickly, and oxidized oil is more irritating and more clogging than fresh oil.

Most of all, your skin is individual. Two people can use the exact same oil and have opposite results based on their pore size, oil production, climate, and barrier health. Treat the ratings in this checker as a way to narrow your choices and avoid the worst offenders, then let a patch test and a few weeks of real-world use make the final call.

How to patch test a new oil or balm

A patch test costs nothing and can save you a frustrating breakout. Apply a small amount of the new product to a low-stakes area, such as the side of your jaw or the inner forearm, once a day for several days. Watch for redness, itching, or small bumps. If your skin stays calm, expand to a larger test area on the face for one to two weeks before making it a daily step. Closed comedones from a clogging ingredient often take a week or two to surface, so a quick one-day test is not always enough to catch them.

When you do introduce a richer balm, start with a thin layer at night on slightly damp skin. Less product is almost always better, since a heavy layer is more likely to sit on the surface and trap debris. If you want to learn the full routine for sealing in moisture without congestion, our why beef tallow guide and the skin concern library walk through it step by step.

Non-comedogenic oils that rarely clog pores

If you are acne-prone and want the safest options, start with the ingredients that rate 0 or 1. These are unlikely to clog pores for most people and several are rich in the linoleic acid that congested skin tends to want more of.

• Argan Oil (rates 0)
• Hemp Seed Oil (rates 0)
• Safflower Oil (rates 0)
• Sunflower Oil (rates 0)
• Carrot Seed Oil (rates 1)
• Castor Oil (rates 1)
• Emu Oil (rates 1)
• Grapeseed Oil (rates 1)
• Kokum Butter (rates 1)
• Lanolin (rates 1)
• Lard (Pork Fat) (rates 1)
• Mineral Oil (rates 1)
• Pomegranate Seed Oil (rates 1)
• Rosehip Oil (rates 1)
• Sea Buckthorn Oil (rates 1)
• Squalane (rates 1)

High-comedogenic ingredients to keep off your face

On the other end, these ingredients rate 4 or 5 and clog pores for many people on facial skin. They still have a place on the body or in specific products, but acne-prone faces are usually better off avoiding them.

• Isopropyl Myristate (rates 5)
• Wheat Germ Oil (rates 5)
• Cocoa Butter (rates 4)
• Coconut Oil (rates 4)
• Flaxseed Oil (rates 4)
• Palm Oil (rates 4)

Frequently asked questions