Pore Clogging Checker
Paste a skincare ingredient list to find comedogenic, pore-clogging ingredients graded 3 to 5 in Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear tests, with each grade. How it works
Use the Pore Clogging Checker
About the Pore Clogging Checker
The checker reads each ingredient you paste and reports the ones on a list taken from Table I of Fulton (1989), which graded raw ingredients 0 to 5 for comedogenicity on rabbit ears; the list holds those printed with a grade of 3, 4 or 5, plus a few names from an older list that have no grade in that source. Names printed with a grade of 2, Fulton’s borderline band, show in a separate group outside the count. It is a list lookup, not an acne prediction: a 2006 study of finished products found that products made with ingredients rated comedogenic are not necessarily comedogenic.
Ingredients on the list with their Fulton 1989 grade
| Ingredient (as printed in Table I) | Comedogenicity grade (0 to 5) |
|---|---|
| Acetylated lanolin alcohol | 4 |
| PEG 16 lanolin (Solulan 16) | 4 |
| Lauric acid | 4 |
| Myristic acid | 3 |
| Butyl stearate | 3 |
| Cetyl acetate | 4 |
| Decyl oleate | 3 |
| Dioctyl malate | 3 |
| Dioctyl succinate | 3 |
| Ethylhexyl palmitate | 4 |
| Isopropyl isostearate | 5 |
| Isopropyl linoleate | 4 |
| Isopropyl myristate | 5 |
| Isopropyl palmitate | 4 |
| Isostearyl neopentanoate | 3 |
| Isostearyl isostearate | 4 |
| Myristyl lactate | 4 |
| Myristyl myristate | 5 |
| Stearyl heptanoate | 4 |
| Isocetyl alcohol | 4 |
| Oleyl alcohol | 4 |
| Sorbitan oleate | 3 |
| Glyceryl-3-diisostearate | 4 |
| Glyceryl stearate SE | 3 |
| Wheat germ glyceride | 3 |
| PEG 8 stearate | 3 |
| PEG 200 dilaurate | 3 |
| Laureth-4 | 5 |
| Laureth-23 | 3 |
| Steareth-10 | 4 |
| Oleth-3 | 5 |
| Oleth-5 | 3 |
| PPG 5 ceteth 10 phosphate | 4 |
| PPG 2 myristyl propionate | 3 |
| PPG 10 cetyl ether | 3 |
| Sulfated jojoba oil | 3 |
| Cocoa butter | 4 |
| Coconut butter | 4 |
| Hydrogenated vegetable oil | 3 |
| Sesame oil | 3 (1 for the refined oil) |
| Corn oil | 3 |
| Avocado oil | 3 (2 for the refined oil) |
| Evening primrose oil | 3 |
| Mink oil | 3 (2 for the refined oil) |
| Soybean oil | 3 |
| Shark liver oil | 3 |
| Cottonseed oil | 3 |
| D&C Red #3 | 3 |
| D&C Red #17 | 3 |
| D&C Red #30 | 3 |
| D&C Red #36 | 3 |
| Water-soluble sulfur | 3 |
| Xylene | 4 |
| Stearic acid:TEA | 3 |
| Cetearyl alcohol + ceteareth 20 | 4 |
Fulton, J Soc Cosmet Chem 1989;40:321-333, Table I: 0 to 1 not significant, 2 to 3 borderline, 4 to 5 positive. A grade in brackets is the refined oil. The cetearyl alcohol plus ceteareth 20 row is a mixture, flagged when both names are in your list.
Borderline: graded 2 in Fulton 1989
| Ingredient (as printed in Table I) | Comedogenicity grade (0 to 5) |
|---|---|
| Laneth-10 | 2 |
| PPG 12 PEG 65 lanolin oil | 2 |
| Capric acid | 2 |
| Palmitic acid | 2 |
| Eicosanoic acid | 2 |
| Ascorbyl palmitate | 2 |
| Ethylhexyl pelargonate | 2 |
| Isodecyl oleate | 2-3 |
| Myristyl alcohol | 2 |
| Stearyl alcohol | 2 |
| PG caprylate/caprate | 2 |
| PG dipelargonate | 2 |
| Pentaerythrital tetra isostearate | 2 |
| PEG 100 distearate | 2 |
| PEG 150 distearate | 2 |
| Steareth-2 | 2 |
| Steareth-20 | 2 |
| Oleth-10 | 2 |
| Peanut oil | 2 |
| Olive oil | 2 (1 for the refined oil) |
| Sandalwood seed oil | 2 |
| Almond oil | 2 (1 for the refined oil) |
| Apricot kernel oil | 2 (1 for the refined oil) |
| D&C Red #4 | 2 |
| D&C Red #19 | 2 |
| D&C Red #21 | 2 |
| D&C Red #27 | 2 |
| D&C Red #40 | 2 |
| Phytantriol | 2 |
| A & D additive | 2 |
| Triethanolamine | 2 |
| Cetyl alcohol | 2 |
| Cetearyl alcohol | 2 |
| Ceteareth-20 | 2 |
| Stearic acid | 2-3 |
| Oleth-3 phosphate | 2 |
| Di(2 ethylhexyl) succinate | 2 |
Fulton calls grade 2 to 3 borderline. The checker shows these names in their own group and leaves them out of the count at the top, which counts grade 3 and above. A grade in brackets is the refined oil.
Names on the list without a grade
| Name |
|---|
| Palm oil |
| Shea butter |
| Wheat germ oil |
| Linseed oil |
| Peach kernel oil |
| Sulfated castor oil |
| Coal tar |
| Colloidal sulfur |
| Algae extract |
| Algin |
| Carrageenan |
| Chlorella |
| Lanolin acid |
| Ethoxylated lanolin |
| Isocetyl stearate |
| Octyl stearate |
| Disodium monooleamido PEG 2-sulfosuccinate |
The checker still flags these names, but Table I of Fulton 1989 has no row for them and no grade from another source was found, so they are reported without one.
Frequently asked questions
- Is coconut oil comedogenic?
- Fulton's Table I has no coconut oil row. It grades coconut butter 4, and cocoa butter 4 as well. The checker reads coconut oil and Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil as the coconut butter row and reports grade 4, showing the name you wrote, so you can see the match it made.
- Is isopropyl myristate comedogenic?
- Fulton grades it 5, the top of the scale. Isopropyl palmitate is graded 4 and isopropyl isostearate 5. All three are reported by the checker.
- Is cetyl alcohol pore clogging?
- Fulton grades cetyl alcohol 2, which he calls borderline, so the checker lists it in the borderline group and leaves it out of the count; cetearyl alcohol and ceteareth-20 are each graded 2 too. Table I does grade the mixture cetearyl alcohol plus ceteareth 20 at 4, so when both names are in your list the checker flags that row and says it may not be the mixture that was tested.
- What do comedogenic ratings from 0 to 5 mean?
- In Fulton's rabbit ear assay each raw material was mixed 9 to 1 in propylene glycol and applied to the inner ear for two weeks, and the plugging of follicles was graded 0 to 5. He treats 0 to 1 as not significant, 2 to 3 as borderline and 4 to 5 as positive, and says the model is extremely sensitive: not everything that irritates it will irritate human skin.
- Does a comedogenic ingredient mean the product will cause acne?
- Not necessarily. Draelos and DiNardo (2006) applied finished products to the upper backs of six volunteers prone to comedones for four weeks and concluded that products made with comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic. Concentration and the rest of the formula matter, so for skin that worries you, ask a dermatologist.
Related Tools
View all toolsChild Height Calculator (Mid-Parental)
Mid-parental height calculator: both biological parents’ heights and the child’s sex give Tanner’s target adult height with a range of ± 8.5 cm.
Period Calculator
Next period calculator: the first day of your last period and your cycle length give six periods and an estimated ovulation day for each. Not contraception.
BMI Calculator
BMI from your height and weight in cm and kg or feet, inches and lb, with the adult category and the weight range for a BMI of 18.5 to under 25.
Daily Fiber/Water Tracker
Log fiber in grams and water in ounces as one running total against a preset or custom goal, with the percent reached and the amount left.
Chocolate Toxicity Calculator for Dogs & Cats
Dog chocolate toxicity calculator: the pet’s weight, the chocolate type and the amount eaten give the theobromine plus caffeine dose in mg/kg. Cats too.
Weight Loss Plateau Calculator
Weight loss plateau calculator: age, sex, height, weight, activity and daily calories give maintenance, your deficit and a rough, rule-based weeks estimate.