Comedogenic Ingredient Checker
Acne-prone? Paste a product's ingredients or upload its label and we'll flag every ingredient rated 3 or higher on standard comedogenicity indices — coconut oil, isopropyl myristate, lanolin derivatives, cocoa butter, and more.
What's flagged as comedogenic
We flag ingredients with a comedogenicity rating of 3 to 5 on the Fulton scale and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review's published lists, including:
Plant oils
Coconut oil, cocoa butter, wheat germ oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil
Fatty acid esters
Isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, decyl oleate, octyl palmitate, butyl stearate
Lanolin derivatives
Acetylated lanolin, ethoxylated lanolin
Free fatty acids
Lauric, myristic, stearic, oleic acid
Algae extracts
Algae extracts and red algae
Certain dyes
D&C Red 27, D&C Red 30
Important caveat
Comedogenicity is graded on rabbit-ear or hairless-mouse models, not on human skin. An ingredient's rating doesn't always predict your reaction — formulation matters (concentration, what it's combined with, finished-product pH). Use this as a screening filter, not a verdict.
Frequently asked questions
Why is coconut oil rated so high?
Coconut oil is approximately 50% lauric acid, which has a comedogenicity rating of 4. This makes whole coconut oil one of the most pore-clogging plant oils when applied to acne-prone facial skin.
Is fractionated coconut oil okay?
Caprylic/capric triglyceride (fractionated coconut oil) has the lauric and myristic acid removed, so it's lighter and rated low (1–2). It's not flagged here.
Should I avoid every flagged ingredient?
Not necessarily. Many people tolerate "comedogenic" ingredients fine — final-product behaviour depends on concentration and formulation. Use this as a starting point, especially if you've had breakouts you can't explain.