You might often have come across the word comedogenic in skincare. “Comedo” means a clogged pore (hair follicle) in the skin also known as an acne papule. Ingredients which cause comedones are called comedogenic. And comedogenic rating is nothing but a scale that ranges from 0 to 5 which states how comedogenic an ingredient is. But how reliable is this scale? Read on to find out the answer.

What is Comedogenic rating?

Comedogenic scale is a 5 point rating system ~

• 0 – less chances of clogging pores (good)
• 1 – slight chances of clogging pores
• 2 to 3 – moderate chances of clogging pores
• 4 to 5 – high chances of clogging pores (bad)

According to this scale, we must stick to ingredients that have comedogenic rating of 0 and 1 to be on the safe side. But what if I told you that this scale is not reliable, is flawed and is not backed by proper testing!

I refer these 2 sites to check the comedogenic ratings, for reference ~

https://www.skincarisma.com/

https://cosdna.com/

How are the Comedogenic ratings assigned?

If there is a rating scale means some testing must have been conducted. Yes, back in 1970-80 and again around 2007. Tests were done by applying the ingredients on the inner side of ear lobes of rabbits and studying them for weeks and looking for clogged pores. Later on, similar studies were also done on the back of humans.

So basically, we are using a scale that has never been scientifically tested on human facial skin!

But how are the ratings flawed?

A rabbit’s ear is way more sensitive and has enlarged pores as compared to human facial skin. Hence many ingredients might have entered in the false positive zone. Meaning they might not be as comedogenic for humans as they appeared on the rabbit’s ears.

Also, a person’s back skin is different than facial skin in many factors. There are more pores on facial skin. Also the latter is subjected more to air and pollution. So definitely the results will vary and hence the rating cannot be held accurate for facial skin.

So should we discard the comedogenic rating altogether?

No! One can always take these ratings as a reference instead of completely relying on them. Also, the ratings are for individual ingredient at their 100% concentration. The ratings change when concentrations change. For eg. Isopropyl myristate is rated 4-5 (highly comedogenic) at 100% concentration but its comedogenic rating reduces to 0-1 at lower concentrations at 5-10%. This is the case for all ingredients.

Many brands market their products as ‘non-comedogenic‘ which is nothing but a marketing strategy. The term ‘non comedogenic‘ isn’t even approved by FDA. There is really no standard like this.

Let me explain to you with a very simple example ~

We all know chilli powder, it is a spice which is used in wide variety of dishes. One can’t simply gulp pure chilli powder because 1) it is not feasible as it is very spicy and 2) it is definitely going to disrupt the digestion system and cause some side-effects. But when chilli powder is added to a dish in appropriate quantity then the dish tastes amazing!

Consider chilli powder here as an ingredient with comedogenic rating of 5 which will cause problems when used on its own but is pretty harmless at lower concentrations.

My verdict on Comedogenic ratings:

There was a time when I was so obsessed with using non-comedogenic ingredients that I used to mix few drops of argan oil with with aloevera gel and apply it as a moisturizer (because every moisturizer had one or the other ingredient that rated above 2 on the comedogenic rating scale). I don’t want the same to happen with anyone else, hence this post. Every skin is different and has different needs. Certain ingredients might trigger acne in one person while not in another, despite both having same skin types. There are a lot many factors apart from just ingredients that trigger clogged pores.

So, the possibilities are ~

• a product with all non-comedogenic ingredients might break you out
• a product with ingredients rating 1-2 can also break you out
• a product with ingredient of high rating (say 5) might not break you out

What to do then?

• Always do a patch test before using a new product.
• Try avoiding products that have high comedogenic ingredients right in the first place. There are chances that they might break you out.
• Do study the ingredient list of your products and try finding out which ingredient breaks you out. (If there are 2-3 products that are causing acne, try to find out the common ingredients, to begin with. Slowly, you’ll get some idea).

In the end, it all lies in the formulation. Certain combination of ingredients can clog your pores even when all of them have rating below 2 and also vice versa. Consider my above example of chilli powder. Some people can tolerate (and enjoy) more chilli powder in their food while others can only tolerate less chilly food. This is exactly how our skin is! Don’t forget to check out the reference links  mentioned below to gain more knowledge about the topic.

Always remember, its the concentration and formulation that matters!

Concluding my thoughts. I hope you liked the post and if you did, do consider subscribing to my blog. Show some love by liking, sharing and commenting your views/thoughts. Until next time, stay beautiful & keep smiling!

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References:

https://averraglow.com/blogs/news/the-ugly-truth-about-the-comedogenic-scale-and-why-you-shouldnt-trust-it

https://www.beautifulwithbrains.com/things-need-know-comedogenicity-ratings/

https://labmuffin.com/fact-check-how-to-use-comedogenicity-ratings/

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