popular and problematic (comedogenic) products - part 1
i decided to start a show and tell series of common and cloggy products new clients have been bringing in during their consults. of course after we audit them, they switch to acne-safe alternatives and only then can the clearing process begin.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE LOOKING AT THIS LIST
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comedogenic, aka pore-clogging or cloggy. these ingredients physically clog pores (especially but not only acne-prone ones) every time you put them on your skin
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the comedogenic ingredient list i’ve compiled, created and use is based on the work of acne pioneers dr. james fulton, a few entries from dr. mark lees and more recently, my own skinSALVATION clinical research
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comedogenic (or pore-clogging) ingredients are rated on a scale of 0-5 (0-1 is safe, 2 is a maybe, 3-5 is definitely cloggy)
- we suggest clients stop using comedogenic products, get clear then reintroduce them if they love them that much, so it’s easier to isolate any new product-related breakouts
A FEW MORE THINGS..
you can audit your own products using our free skinsalvation / with & within product checker as a starting point for your clear skin journey.
some brands don’t disclose their entire ingredient list (or hide things under "fragrance" - here's an article about that), so a product may look safe but actual usage can cause breakouts; test carefully + observe closely for 1-3 months.
we recommend new products to clients only after we see at least 6-12 clear-skinned clients using it for at least 3-6 months to ensure it’s acne-safe, so everything we make & sell online and in-clinic has been extensively vetted.
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AND NOW THE COMMON CLOGGY CULPRITS..
FANCY + CLOGGY INTERNET INFLUENCER SHAMPOO
comedogenic ingredients: lauric acid (4), fragrance (0-3)*
this client was breaking out on her scalp, forehead, temples and cleared up soon after stopping this product.
to be fair, most hair products are formulated to ultra moisturize, coat the hair and stay on it through humidity, sweat and heat - ingredients which are commonly comedogenic and are bound to touch the skin eventually. and even worse if you don't wash your hair every night, as the residue builds up on your pillowcases that rub off on your face.
*comedogenicity of fragrances depends on raw source material. many ingredients allowed to be called ‘fragrance’ are cloggy.
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AQUAPHOR AS LIPBALM
comedogenic ingredients: lanolin alcohol (2), ceresin (?)*
commonly used as a cheap and easy lipbalm that's ultra moisturizing, this has broken out so many of my clients right on the lipline, spreading to the upper lip, corners of the mouth and even chin. plain petroleum jelly is better than this, but i try to avoid synthetic refined petroleum products when possible.
*no official comedogenic info or tests on ceresin, but suspicious.. derived from coal-derived wax or crude oil, it gives stiff body to things like lipstick, lipbalms, hair wax and also candles, shoe polishes and waterproofing agents. i found this review after a client (with mouth acne) came in with it!
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DRUGSTORE BENZOYL PEROXIDE GELS
comedogenic ingredient: laureth-4 (5)
it is SUPER common to find comedogenic ingredients in ACNE targeted products (!), especially benzoyl peroxide gels.
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ACNE-SAFE ALTERNATIVES
these are the same products we recommend to our clients both in-clinic and online for clearer skin.
ACNE-SAFE HAIR PRODUCTS
acne-safe hair products are tricky because they’re designed to deeply moisturize (often with cloggy ingredients) and stay on the hair (leaving cloggy residue on your skin, pillowcases, etc). we propose our clients to think outside the box - basically any foaming gel cleanser can wash hair, face and body - just have to watch for cloggy ingredients and make sure it doesn't overdry.
we recommend shikai body wash as shampoo, earthscience fragrance-free for oily scalps and our conditioner for gentle smoothing in the shower or as a leave-in. we also have a new fragrance-free hair and body cleansing gel - try it out and let us know how you like it!
ACNE-SAFE LIP BALMS
lipbalms almost always contain VERY cloggy ingredients like coconut oil (burt’s bees!), cocoa butter, argan oil, etc etc. we recommend our w&w brand lipbalm (it is olive oil based which is usually cloggy, but this specific formula has been acne-safe tested for years), moon valley organics (avoid the coconut flavor) or 100% shea butter.
TRULY ACNE-SAFE BENZOYL PEROXIDE PRODUCTS - if you even need it
if you look up acne products, you'll likely see the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide in them. benzoyl peroxide (BP) can help dry up wet pustular acne, as well as control inflammation. but more often than not we can control the inflammation in other ways (like icing) and plus, not all acne skins are oily so using BP can dehydrate further, causing what i call 'constipated pores' - pores that are congested but the surrounding tissue is so dry that impaction can't glide out of the pore during extractions.
honestly, within my practice i clear about 90% of my clients without BP, but i will use it for really inflamed cases, spot treating inflamed acne or something like a BP cleanser for back acne. we employ other topical and more importantly, systemic tools to control the inflammation, but sometimes an extra BP bump can help speed things up.
NOW YOU - WHICH ONES HAVE YOU TRIED?
you've probably seen, bought and tried these exact products (or ones like it) before. let us know your experience and if you've used these products - are there other products you've been suspicous of? let us know and we can do some investigating for you!
