The comedogenic scale is a 0 to 5 rating of how likely an ingredient is to clog pores: 0 means it is very unlikely to, and 5 means it is very likely to. It is a useful starting point for choosing oils, butters and moisturizers, but it is not a promise about the finished product in your hands. Below you will find what each number means, where the scale came from, how to read a rating chart, and how to use it without throwing out good products or trusting bad ones.
Key takeaways
-
The scale runs from 0 (no pore plugging) to 5 (severe), and ratings of 0 to 1 are generally treated as non-comedogenic.
-
“Non-comedogenic” on a label is not a regulated guarantee in the U.S., so the claim alone proves little.
-
A rating describes a raw ingredient, not a full formula. Concentration, texture and your own skin all change the outcome.
-
Use ratings to flag suspects, then confirm with a patch test and a look at the whole ingredient list.
Table of Contents
What the comedogenic scale measures
A comedone is a clogged pore: a blackhead or whitehead. “Comedogenic” simply means “likely to form comedones.” The scale grades ingredients by that tendency.
In the original rabbit-ear testing, researchers applied an ingredient and looked at how much keratin plugged the follicles. According to a 2025 review of comedogenicity in cosmeceuticals, 0 meant no follicular keratin plugging and 5 meant severe comedone formation. Ratings of 0 to 1 were considered non-comedogenic, and grades of 3 or above suggested significant comedogenicity.
Here is how to read the numbers in everyday terms:
| Rating | Plain-English meaning | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not expected to clog pores | Safe bet for most acne-prone routines |
| 1 | Very unlikely to clog pores | Generally fine |
| 2 | Moderately low risk | Fine for many people, patch test if you break out easily |
| 3 | Moderate risk | Be cautious on the face, especially in leave-on products |
| 4 | High risk | Skip on breakout-prone areas |
| 5 | Very high risk | Avoid on the face if you are acne-prone |
The wording for the middle numbers varies from chart to chart. The 0, 1 and 3-and-up thresholds are the parts with research behind them.
Where the scale came from, and why that matters
The scale grew out of mid-20th-century rabbit-ear experiments. Rabbit ears react far more strongly than human skin, so the test is very sensitive. The same 2025 review notes that this over-sensitivity is a core limitation, and that ingredient tests do not reliably predict what a finished product does on human facial skin.
A later technique, follicular biopsy, used human skin to look at plugging. A cosmetic-science paper on claim substantiation points out that this model has never been validated against an in-use clinical trial gold standard, and that its relevance from the back to the face has not been established.
That is not a reason to ignore the scale. It is a reason to treat a number as a hint, not a verdict.
Reading a comedogenic rating chart
Most charts list oils and butters first, because those are the ingredients people choose themselves. A few things to keep in mind while you scan one:
-
Charts disagree. One site may list sunflower oil at 0, another gives it a range of 0 to 2. Both are working from the same loose body of older data.
-
Ranges are honest. A range tells you the evidence is mixed. Do not pick the lowest number and stop there.
-
Position on the label matters. A high-rated ingredient near the end of a long list is a very different situation from one in the first five.
-
Synthetic ingredients are rated too. The 2025 review cites isopropyl myristate at 4 to 5 and tocopherol (vitamin E) at 2 to 3, which surprises people who assume “natural” and “synthetic” sort neatly into safe and risky.
If you want to see which products contain a particular ingredient without hand-scanning labels, our Products By Ingredient page lets you search from the ingredient side.
Oils and butters often rated 0 or 1
Oils with the lowest cited ratings tend to be the ones people reach for first. Commonly cited at 0 or 1 are unrefined sunflower oil, safflower oil, squalane, babassu oil and castor oil, according to Curology’s overview of the scale. Other charts list argan and hemp seed oil at 0 as well.
Two cautions apply:
-
These numbers come from ingredient charts, not from clinical trials on your face. Treat them as common starting points.
-
Charts differ. If an oil matters to you, check two or three charts and notice where they diverge.
Where shea butter lands
Shea butter is a good example of how fuzzy this gets. One dermatologist-reviewed explainer from Healthy Beautiful describes it as 0 to 2, and says the research is inconclusive, so it should be judged with the complete formula and your own skin. In plain terms: shea is low-risk for many people, yet not a guaranteed pass. If you break out from rich creams, test it on a small area first.
What “non-comedogenic” means on a label
Non-comedogenic means a product is unlikely to clog pores. The catch is that the term is not regulated. The 2025 review states that because the U.S. FDA does not regulate the term, there is no guarantee a product labeled this way will not cause acne or clog pores, and manufacturers can use it without standardized testing or oversight.
That said, the label is not meaningless. The American Academy of Dermatology advises people with acne-prone skin to look for moisturizers described as oil-free, non-comedogenic or “won’t clog pores,” which it says means the product is unlikely to cause acne. So the label is a reasonable filter, not a proof.
A practical way to use it: treat “non-comedogenic” as one point in favor, then check the ingredient list and look for reviews from people with skin like yours.
Why a good rating can still go wrong
The biggest limit is the jump from ingredient to formula. The 2025 review explains that raw-material tests do not capture how specific concentrations or chemical interactions in a finished product change its comedogenicity. A low-rated oil can sit inside a heavy cream with other pore-clogging ingredients. A mid-rated ingredient at a tiny concentration might do nothing at all.
Hormones, sweat, friction, sunscreen layering and skin type matter too. Our guide to skincare for hormonal skin type routines is a helpful angle if breakouts follow your cycle no matter how carefully you read labels. Dermatologist Dr. Alpana Mohta likewise describes comedogenic ratings as guidelines, not standardized measurements, and notes that individual reactions differ.
Formulation choices also affect how a product feels and behaves on skin. For example, some people deliberately avoid mineral-oil-derived ingredients and explore petroleum-free skincare options, while others are fine with them. If you are weighing that question, our explainer on whether petrolatum is safe walks through the evidence. Petrolatum is, notably, a classic example of an ingredient whose old reputation and modern evidence do not always match.
How to use ratings when you have acne-prone skin
Here is a simple workflow that respects both the scale and its limits.
-
Start with the product, not the oil. Look at the full ingredient list of the moisturizer, sunscreen or base makeup you actually plan to use.
-
Flag anything rated 3 or higher that appears near the top of the list. Those are your suspects.
-
Check the type of product. Leave-on products, such as moisturizers and foundations, stay on skin for hours. Rinse-off products matter less.
-
Patch test. Apply a small amount along the jawline or near the hairline for a week or two before using it all over.
-
Introduce one new thing at a time. If you change five products at once, you will never know which one caused a breakout.
-
Keep notes. A short log of what you used and how your skin looked tells you more than any chart.
Our breakdown of the worst pore-clogging ingredients on labels is a handy companion to this list. If you are brand new to all of this, start with our skincare routine for beginners so you are not overhauling everything at once.
Base makeup: tinted moisturizers, foundations, BB and CC creams
The scale gets most useful, and most confusing, in complexion products, because they are worn all day on the face.
-
Tinted moisturizers are the lightest option. Choose one labeled non-comedogenic, then look for lightweight emollients rather than heavy butters or high-rated oils near the top of the list.
-
Foundations vary hugely. Liquid, oil-free formulas are a common pick for oily or breakout-prone skin, while rich, creamy or stick formulas often rely on waxes and butters that deserve a closer look.
-
BB creams combine light coverage with skincare-style ingredients. Scan for fragrance and heavier plant oils if you break out easily.
-
CC creams focus on evening out tone. Because many also include SPF, check the sunscreen filters and emollients together instead of judging by one ingredient.
In every category, the same rule holds: read the first ten ingredients, watch for a rating of 3 or above, and patch test. If you want product-level help, our Ingredient Checker reviews up to two products for $20 one-off, and Find Clean Beauty Makeup finds a clean option per product for $10 one-off.
Ingredients to double-check beyond the scale
A low comedogenic rating does not mean an ingredient is right for you. Fragrance, certain essential oils and strong actives can irritate skin, and irritation can look a lot like a breakout. Our article on essential oils in a safe skincare routine covers that overlap. If clogged pores are your main concern, exfoliating acids are worth understanding too, and BHA vs AHA explains which one suits oily, congested skin.
For a wider view of what is in your products, see our guide to skincare ingredients.
Our perspective
We built Queen Compares because ingredient lists are hard to read and numbers on a chart feel more certain than they are. The comedogenic scale is a perfect example. It gives you a clean 0 to 5, and it feels like an answer. In practice, it is one clue among several.
What we see in the way people shop is that the best outcomes come from combining three things: the ingredient list, what other people with similar skin say, and a slow, careful trial. That is why we focus on side-by-side comparisons, ingredient-level safety information and community reviews, rather than a single score.
So use the scale. Let it help you spot a risky oil or an unexpectedly heavy ingredient. Then let your own skin have the final say.
— Magdalena
Check your own products with Queen Compares
If you would rather not decode labels alone, we can help. Our Ingredient Checker reviews up to 2 products for $20 one-off, and our Clean Beauty page helps you find clean makeup for $10 per product. You can also browse by ingredient or explore products on Queen Compares to compare options side by side before you buy.
FAQ
What does a comedogenic rating of 1 mean?
A rating of 1 means an ingredient is very unlikely to clog pores. In the original 0 to 5 grading, 0 to 1 was considered non-comedogenic. It is still a raw-ingredient result, so the finished product may behave differently.
Which oils have a comedogenic rating of 0?
Charts commonly list argan, hemp seed, safflower and sunflower oil at or near 0, while squalane, babassu and castor oil are often cited at 0 to 1. Charts do not always agree, and some give sunflower oil a range up to 2. Compare a few before you decide.
Does non-comedogenic guarantee I will not break out?
No. The U.S. FDA does not regulate the term, so there is no guarantee a labeled product will not clog pores. It is a helpful signal, particularly when paired with a clean ingredient list and a patch test.
How do I know if my skin is prone to clogged pores?
There is no single test. Frequent blackheads, whiteheads or small bumps after adding a new product suggest you may be comedone-prone. Keep a short log of what you use, and see a board-certified dermatologist if breakouts are persistent or painful.
Sources
-
Comedogenicity in cosmeceuticals: A review of clinical evidence (JAAD Reviews, 2025)
-
Moisturizer: Why you may need it if you have acne (American Academy of Dermatology)
-
Is Shea Butter Comedogenic? Ask a Dermatologist (Healthy Beautiful)
Recommended
General Entertainment & Information Purposes Only At QueenCompares.com we share content for general entertainment and information. It’s not medical, dermatological, nutritional, or fitness advice and shouldn’t replace guidance from a licensed professional. If you’re making health-related decisions, please check with a qualified expert — and know that using this site and its information is at your own discretion.