Pore ​​Clogging Ingredients: With non-comedogenic ingredients for healthy skin.

You do everything you can to have a beautiful complexion, without nasty pimples and blemishes. Your care is perfectly tailored to your skin type; you cleanse your skin regularly, gently and thoroughly, eat healthily and wear SPF every day. You really do everything (!) that is in your power. And yet your skin doesn't match your expectations and you tend to get pimples and small bumps on your forehead and cheeks that you just can't explain? This could actually be due to pore-clogging ingredients in your skincare products!

We all have these tiny openings in our skin to release sweat and oil, but for some people they can be more sensitive than others. Or rather, clogged pores are more common for some of us than others (more information in our article: Let's talk Pores ). People with oily or combination skin in particular should pay attention when the term “comedogenic” is used. Comedogenic ingredients are suspected of promoting the development of impurities. But what does that actually mean?

Comedogenic is essentially a word for pore-clogging. Of course, there are many reasons for impure skin or acne. It is often a combination of several external and internal factors, such as stress, diet, medication or hormonal imbalance - but one thing is certain: using beauty products that also clog the pores is not exactly helpful. "Pore-clogging ingredients make it much more likely that breakouts will occur," says New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD. She also adds, “For someone with naturally oily skin or someone who carries the bacteria that causes acne, using these ingredients is like throwing gasoline on a fire. It’s a combination that can worsen acne and cause recurring blemishes.”

But what property causes an ingredient to clog pores? The short answer: We don't know. There are still many question marks when it comes to research into the topic of “comedogenicity”. What we know so far is that pore-clogging ingredients are usually occlusive. This means they sit on top of the skin and form a seal that causes oil to become trapped - especially if someone has naturally oily skin. To date, there are no legal regulations or uniform tests that check the comedogenicity of a product. This means that you have to trust the companies that advertise their products with the label “non-comedogenic”, or you can get your own idea of ​​the ingredients used and compare them with our list. Here we show you 6 ingredients that can potentially clog pores:

Coconut oil

Although coconut oil has many different health benefits, it is considered to be particularly comedogenic - especially when applied to the face. This is mainly due to its property as it is not well absorbed by the skin, so it can promote the accumulation of bacteria and dead skin cells in the pores. This can lead to skin blemishes. People who are prone to acne should therefore avoid coconut oil on their skin.

INCI: Cocos Nucifera, Coconut Oil, Cocos Nucifera Butter

vaseline

Commonly known as petroleum jelly and used in the viral TikTok trend "slugging," petroleum jelly is an ingredient to avoid if you're struggling with breakouts. While the ingredient may have many benefits, the product is very thick and sits on the surface of the skin, which can cause a "congestion" in the pores, leading to a buildup of oil and dead cells that can ultimately become a pimple .

INCI: petrolatum

Cocoa butter

As a rule of thumb, ingredients with high concentrations of oleic acid (a fatty acid) tend to be more comedogenic. Since cocoa butter is rich in oleic acid, cocoa butter can cause problems when used on oily skin → A tip: Shea butter is recommended as an alternative, which is just as moisturizing but does not clog pores - is non-comedogenic.

INCI: Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Theobroma Cacao Butter

silicone

Silicone is more commonly found in makeup than skin care products - particularly primers - as well as hair care products such as conditioners and masks and is considered to be highly comedogenic. When checking the ingredients list, it is also recommended to look for its derivatives such as cyclomethicone and dimethicone. These should also be avoided.

INCI: Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone

lanolin

Lanolin is considered another occlusive ingredient that forms a film over the dermal layer and traps dead skin cells, bacteria and oil in pores, which can worsen acne and blemishes.

INCI: Lanolin, Lanolin Alcohol, Lanolin Oil, Lanolin Acid, Lanolin Cera

Flaxseed oil

A high concentration of oleic acid is also responsible for the comedogenicity of this oil. A good alternative is grape seed oil, which is just as nourishing for the skin, but without the potential risk of clogging pores.

INCI: Linseed Oil

Basically, of course, every person and therefore every skin is individual and reacts differently to different products and ingredients. It is therefore advisable to always test new products on small areas and observe the skin's reaction. If you find a few products with potentially pore-clogging ingredients after reading this article, you don't have to throw them out right away. Although we would of course like to see our skincare essentials in your skincare corner, we recommend that you leave the products out and observe your skin first. Our skin often shows us quite well what is good for it and what we should avoid. It's definitely worth taking a look at the ingredients list! By the way, this not only applies to your skin care, but also to your make-up products. With our comedogenic check you can quickly find out whether your products contain pore-clogging ingredients. Click here for the comedogenic check.

We hope this article has shed some light on this for you. For more gloowy content, you can also find us on Instagram & TikTok @heygloowy , we look forward to seeing you! <3