Everyone looks for a product that says it is oil freebut is it non-comedogenic?

Comedogenicity refers to the chance that an ingredient or combination of ingredients will cause your pores to clog. This results in blackheads or whiteheads, officially called comedones. Comedogenicity is rated on a scale between 0-5. The lower the number, the less likely that the ingredient used by itself will clog your pores.

But because an ingredient or product is "comedogenic" doesn't mean that everyone who uses it will automatically develop acne or clogged pores. Most will tolerate the presence of that ingredient in their product just fine. It simply means that those who have a real problem with clogged pores are more at risk by using that ingredient.

In reality, a formula's true comedogenicty boils down to the amount of the specific "comedogenic" ingredients present in the final product (Where does it fall in the ingredient list?) and to what other ingredients are present that may counteract the comedogenicity. In other words, how well do the ingredients play together?

So why even include an ingredient known to be comedogenic? The ingredient may serve an essential purpose in the formulation, necessitating its inclusion.

The real question to ask: Did the product make it through comedogenicity testing? If so, don't stress out about the presence of a comedogenic ingredient.

Oil And Wax

In the cosmetic industry, the words "oil" and "wax" are 3-, not 4-letter words. They may sound bad, but many oils and waxes are not necessarily bad for the skin.

For instance, the words "oil" and "wax" sound heavy, but some oils and waxes are not necessarily bad for the skin. Much of the naming process has to do with chemical structure. Mineral oil is a good example of such an ingredient. Many people avoid it like the plaguebut its comedogenicity rating is zero!

When shopping for a non-comedogenic product, the label must make that claim. "Water-Based" and "Oil-Free" mean just that, and may not have any bearing whatsoever on comedone formation.

Oil Free products may contain synthetic oils, but cannot contain natural vegetable or animal oils. That doesn't mean comedone causing ingredients are not included in the formulation. Other unhelpful or misleading terms exist that might confuse someone prone to blackheads.

How Would You Rate It On A Scale From 1 To 5?

How is comedogenicity determined? It is rated on a scale between 0-5. The lower the number, the less likely that the ingredient will clog your pores.

In the old days, prior to cosmetic companies discontinuing animal testing, the product or ingredient was applied to the inside of a rabbit's ear for 3 weeks. This skin is much more likely to show sensitivity more quickly and definitively than human skin. At that time, a small biopsy was performed and the number of comedones that had formed were counted.

Fortunately today, animal testing is being done away with, and human volunteers are used for determining a new product's comedogenicity. Usually a company will want to test a new product under development and verify that it is non-comedogenic. The agent in question is applied to the face of the clinical study volunteer for a specified amount of time and then the treatment area is evaluated with a high powered microscope, no biopsy necessary.

A cosmetic ingredient comedogenicity rating system is in place and evaluates both the individual ingredient's pore plugging tendency as well as its potential irritation. Two scores are listed for each ingredient.

Here are some commonly used skin care ingredients and their comedogenicity and irritation levels based upon a scale of 0-5. I have omitted ingredients that do not register on either scale.

Should you find yourself developing clogged pores or blackheads despite trying to be careful with your chosen skin care products, you may want to try to eliminate they by washing with Murad Acne Body Wash or DERMAdoctor Ain't Misbehavin' Medicated AHA/BHA Acne Cleanser followed by the application of DERMAdoctor Picture Porefect Pore Minimizing Solution twice daily. You can then use Tweezerman Skin Care Tool to gently yet effectively remove unsightly blackheads.

My final advice: if you are prone to blemishes, oily skin or enlarged pores, the best way to be an informed shopper is to only select those products that clearly state on the label that product is non-comedogenic.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope you have found it informative.

Audrey Kunin, M.D.

(Any topic discussed in this article is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please check with your doctor.)

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