Comprehensive List Of Non-Comedogenic And Comedogenic Ingredients- Dermatocare’s ingredients guide
Written By Dr Surbhi, MD Skin
Last updated: 19/09/18Comedogenic ingredient means a particular ingredient which can lead to comedones or black/whiteheads if applied on oily or acne prone skin as determined by rabbit ear assay. If you have resistant pimples or comedones beyond 25 years of age, scanning the ingredient list for the absence of comedogenic ingredient and also for the presence of non-comedogenic alternatives, is recommended to rule out acne cosmetica.
However, scanning each product for these acne-causing ingredients is tedious; you can simply read Dermatocare Reviews on Top Anti-acne Skincare Products to find non-comedogenic products for your acne-prone skin.
I have listed the detailed list of comedogenic ingredient in my book, “Acnefied- the war against acne begins here!” This book also highlights dermatologist recommendations on Acne diet, skincare regime, home remedies, and products.
Should I avoid comedogenic ingredients?
If you have oily or acne prone skin you should avoid:
- Comedogenic ingredient with grade 3-5 altogether.
- Comedogenic ingredient with grade 1-2 only if they are mentioned among top 5-10 in the list, meaning that ingredient is present in high concentration in that product.
However, testing of the final product is a better indicator than scanning the ingredient list because the same ingredient might lose comedogenicity if mixed with other solvents or diluted to lower concentrations.
What is the authentic list of comedogenic ingredients?
There are many lists of comedogenic ingredients available online, each providing slightly different information. We use the list published in this article: https://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc1989/cc040n06/p00321-p00333.pdf
| Acetylated lanolin alcohol | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Almond oil | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Apricot kernel oil | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Avocado oil | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Beeswax | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Butyl stearate | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Capric acid | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Caprylic acid | Low comedogenicity |
| Carnuba wax | Low comedogenicity |
| Ceteareth 20 | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Ceteareth-20 | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Cetyl acetate | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Cetyl alcohol | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Cocoa butter | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Coconut butter | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Corn oil | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Cotton seed oil | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Ctearyl alcohol | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| D & C red #17 | Moderate comedogenicity |
| D & C red #19 | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| D & C red #21 | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| D & C red #27 | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| D & C red #3 | Moderate comedogenicity |
| D & C red #30 | Moderate comedogenicity |
| D & C red #33 | Low comedogenicity |
| D & C red #36 | Moderate comedogenicity |
| D & C red #4 | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| D & C red #40 | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| D & C red #9 | Low comedogenicity |
| Decyl oleate | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Di (2 ethylhexyl) succinate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Dimethicone | Low comedogenicity |
| Dioctyl malate | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Dioctyl succinate | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Eicosanoic acid | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Ethylhexyl palmitate | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Ethylhexyl pelargonate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Evening primrose oil | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Glyceryl tricapylo/caprate | Low comedogenicity |
| Glyceryl stearate NSE | Low comedogenicity |
| Glyceryl stearate SE | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Glyceryl-3-diisostearate | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Hexylene glycol | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Hydrogenated vegetable oil | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Isocetyl alcohol | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Isodecyl oleate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Isopropyl isostearate | High comedogenicity |
| Isopropyl linolate | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Isopropyl myristate | High comedogenicity |
| Isopropyl palmitate | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Isostearyl isostearate | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Isostearyl neopentanoate | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Jojoba oil | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Lanolin wax | Low comedogenicity |
| Laureth-23 | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Laureth-4 | High comedogenicity |
| Lauric acid | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Lauric acid | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Mink oil | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Myristic acid | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Myristyl lactate | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Myristyl myristate | High comedogenicity |
| Myristyl alcohol | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Oleth-10 | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Oleth-20 | Low comedogenicity |
| Oleth-3 | High comedogenicity |
| Oleth-3 phosphate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Oleth-5 | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Oleyl alcohol | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Olive oil | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Palmitic acid | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Peanut oil | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| PEG 100 distearate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| PEG 15 0 distearate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| PEG 16 lanolin (Solulan 16) | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| PEG 20 stearate | Low comedogenicity |
| PEG 200 dilaurate | Moderate comedogenicity |
| PEG 8 castor oil | Low comedogenicity |
| PEG 8 stearate | Moderate comedogenicity |
| PG caprylate/caprate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| PG dicaprylate/caprate | Low comedogenicity |
| PG dipelargonate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| PG monostearate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Phytantriol | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| PPG 10 cetyl ether | Moderate comedogenicity |
| PPG 2 myristyl propionate | Moderate comedogenicity |
| PPG 5 Ceteth 10 phosphate | · Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Sandalwood seed oil | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Sesame oil | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Shark liver oil | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Sorbitan isostearate | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Sorbitan oleate | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Soybean oil | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Squalane | Low comedogenicity |
| Steareth-10 | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Steareth-2 | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Steareth-20 | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Stearic acid | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Stearic acid: TEA | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Stearyl alcohol | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Stearyl heptanoate | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Sulfated jojoba oil | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Triethanolamine | Moderately low comedogenicity |
| Water-soluble sulfur | Moderate comedogenicity |
| Xylene | Fairly high comedogenicity |
| Zinc oxide | Low comedogenicity |
We also refer the same list while assessing the ingredients for recommending the products customised to skin type and concerns in our PRODUCT SECTION.