Check for Pore Clogging Ingredients

If you have acne, then removing pore cloggers is your first step to clear skin. It’s one less obstacle keeping you from healthy skin. While some people will see improvement in their skin from just eliminating pore cloggers, most people with stubborn acne will need a skincare routine designed for their acne type and will see the most success when working with an acne specialist.

Not necessarily. "Non-comedogenic" isn't regulated by the FDA, so companies can use this term even if their products contain pore clogging ingredients. Always check the ingredient list with our Pore Clogger Checker!

We recommend avoiding products with ANY pore cloggers. Any amount of pore cloggers can cause breakouts.

Removing pore cloggers is just the first step towards clear skin. You also need to address the acne itself with appropriate active ingredients, maintain consistent habits, and sometimes address internal factors. This is where working with an acne specialist can make all the difference.

No. Some oils are actually beneficial for acne-prone skin. The key is knowing which oils to avoid and which ones are acne-safe.

If you have stubborn acne, we recommend avoiding pore cloggers completely while you're working to achieve clear skin. Even occasional use can trigger breakouts that take weeks to heal. Once your skin is consistently clear, you might have more flexibility for occasional use.

Some people may notice their skin appears less congested within a few weeks of eliminating pore cloggers. However, existing breakouts may take 6-8 weeks to fully clear, since acne has a long development cycle.

You don't have to give up makeup! Switch to pure loose mineral makeup (we recommend Priia). Avoid liquid foundations, cream products, and anything with pore clogging ingredients. Pure loose mineral is the only makeup that is acne safe and it provides beautiful coverage.

Absolutely! Body lotions, hair conditioners, laundry detergents, and even fabric softeners can cause breakouts on your back, chest, and shoulders. The same rules apply to your body as your face.

Be very cautious with DIY skincare. Many popular natural ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter are pore cloggers. Just because something is natural doesn't mean it's safe for acne-prone skin.

1-acetoxyhexadecane
1-hexadecanol acetate
1-hexadecanol
Acetic acid hexadecyl ester
Acetylated Lanolin
Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
Acetylated wool fat
Acetylated wool wax
Adansonia digitata l.
Agar
Ahnfeltiopsis concinna extract
Alaria esculenta extract
Alga bladderwrack
Algae
Algae Extract
Algin
Alginate
Alginic acid
Algea
Aphanothece sacrum polysaccharide
Arthrospira plantensis
Ascophyllum nodosum extract
Asparagopsis armata extract
Baobab
Beeswax
Bismuth
Bryopsis africana
Butyl Octadecanoate
Butyl Stearate
Butyl Stearic acid
Butyrospermum
Cacao seed butter
Capea biruncinata var. denuda sonder
Capea biruncinata var. elongata sonder
Carageenan gum
Carastay c
Caulerpa lentillifera extract
Caulerpa filiformis
Carrageenan
Carrageenan Moss
Cera alba
Cera bianca
Cera flava
Cera olea
Cetearyl Alcohol + Ceteareth 20
Cetyl Acetate
Chaetomorpha linum (aerea) cladophora radiosa
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii extract
Chlorella
Chlorophyceae
Chondrus Crispus (aka Irish Moss or Carageenan Moss)
Cladophora cf. subsimplex
Cladosiphon okamuranus extract
Coal Tar
Coco-caprate
Coco-caprylate
Cocoa Butter
Coconut Alkanes
Coconut Butter
Coconut Extract
Coconut Nucifera extract
Coconut Oil
Cocos nucifera oil
Cocos nucifera seed butter
Coenochloris signiensis extract
Colloidal Sulfur
Cotton Awws Oil
Cotton Seed Oil
Corallina officinalis extract
Corn
Corn oil
Creosote
Cystoseira tamariscifolia extract
D & C Red # 17
D & C Red # 21
D & C Red # 3
D & C Red # 30
D & C Red # 36
Decyl Oleate
Decyloleate
Dicotyledons succinate
Dictyopteris membranacea
Dictyopteris polypodioides
Diethylhexyl sodium sulfosuccinate
Diisooctyl succinate
Dilsea carnosa extract
Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate
Dioctyl Succinate
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
Disodium Monooleamido
Disodium Monooleamido peg 2 sulfosuccinate
Disodium oleamido peg-2 sulfosuccinate
Dodecanoic acid
Dodecoic acid
Dodecylic acid
Dunaliella salina extract
Duodecylic acid
Durvillaea antarctica extract

Ecklonia cava
Ecklonia cava extract
Ecklonia radiata
Enteromorpha compressa extract
Ethoxylated Lanolin
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Eucheuma spinosum extract
Fucoxanthin
Fucus serratus
Fucus vesiculosus
Gamtae extract
Gelidiella acerosa extract
Gelidium amansii extract
Gigartina stellata extract
Glyceryl monostearate
Glyceryl Stearate SE
Glyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Glycine soja oil
Glycine max
Gracilariopsis chorda extract
Haematococcus pluvialis extract
Haematococcus pluvialis
Haslea ostrearia extract
Hexadecanol acetate
Hexadecyl Acetate
Hexadecyl Alcohol
Himanthalia elongata extract
Hizikia fusiforme extract
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Hydrolyzed rhodophycea extract
Hydrous magnesium silicate
Hypnea musciformis extract
Hypneaceae extract
Irish Moss
Isocetyl Alcohol
Isocetyl Stearate
Isodecyl Oleate
Isohexadecanol
Isohexadecyl alcohol
Isohexadecyl stearate
Isooctadecyl isooctadecanoate
Isopalmitic alcohol
Isopalmityl alcohol
Isopropyl isodecanoate
Isopropyl Isostearate
Isopropyl Linolate
Isopropyl Myristate
Isopropyl Palmitate
Isostearyl Isostearate
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Jania rubens extract
Jojoba wax
Kappaphycus alvarezii extract
Karite
Kelp
Kousou ekisu
Laminaria
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Laminaria Saccharina Extract (Laminaria Saccharine)
Lanolin acetate
Lanolin alcohol acetate
Lanolin polyoxyethylene ether
Laureth-23
Laureth-4
Lauric Acid
Laurostearic acid
Lcd
Linolate
Liquor carbonis detergens
Liquor picis carbonis
Lithothamnium calcareum powder
Lpc
Macroalgae
Macrocystis pyrifera extract
Mangifera indica seed butter
Mango Butter
Marula
Marula oil
Methylsilanol mannuronate
Mink Oil
Moss
Myristate
Myristic Acid
Myristyl
Myristyl Lactate
Myristyl Myristate
Myristyl Propionate
N-hexadecyl alcohol
N-hexadecyl ethanoate
Octadecanoic acid
Octadecyl heptanoate
Octyl Palmitate
Octyl Stearate
Oleth-3
Oleth-3 phosphate
Oleyl Alcohol

Palmaria palmata extract
Palmityl Acetate
Palmityl Alcohol
Parkii
PEG 2 Sulfosuccinate
PEG 2- Sulfosuccinate
PEG 16 Lanolin
PEG 200 Dilaurate
PEG-75
PEG 8 Stearate
Pelvetia canaliculata extract
PE
Phaeodactylum tricornutum extract
Phaeophyceae
Pix carbonis
PG Monostearate
PGMSP
PG-2 Myristyl
PPG 2 Myristyl Propionate
PPG 2 Myristyl Ether Propionate
Plankton
Polyethylene glycol 200
Polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether
Polyethylene glycol jojoba acid
Polyethylene glycol lauryl ether
Polyethylene glycol monododecyl ether
Polyethylene glycol stearate
Polyoxyethylene lauryl ether
Polysiphonia elongata extract
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Polyglyceryl-3-Disostearate
Porphyra umbilicalis
Porphyridium
Porphyridium cruentum extract
Porphyridium polysaccharide
Potassium Chloride
Potassium Salt
Propanoic Acid
Propylene Glycol Monostearate
Pyrene coal tar pitch
Red Algae
Rhodophyta
Rhodophyceae extract
Sargassum filipendula extract
Sargassum fusiforme extract
Sclerocarya birrea
Sclerocarya birrea seed oil
Seaweed
Sea fern
Sesame
Sesamum indicum
Shark Liver Oil
Shark Squalene
Shea
Shea Butter
Sheep alcohol
Simmondsia chinensis seed wax
Sles
Slo
Sls
Sodium Alginate
Sodium Alkylethersulfate
Sodium Docusate
Sodium Dodecyl sulphate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Sodium Lauryl Ether sulfate
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Soja
Solulan 16
Sorbitan Monooleate
Sorbitan Oleate
Soy
Soybean
Soybean Oil
Sphacelaria
Spirulina
Squalene
Steareth 10
Stearic Acid Tea
Stearyl Heptanoate
Starch
Sulfated Castor Oil
Sulfated Jojoba Oil
Sulfosuccinate
Sulphated castor oil
Talc
Talcum
Tea stearate
Tetradecanoic acid
Tetradecyl lactate
Tetradecyl myristate
Tetradecyl propionate
Theobroma butter
Theobroma cocoa seed butter
Theobroma oil
Triticum aestivum
Triticum vulgare
Turkey red oil
Undaria Pinnatifida
Ulva lactuca
Ulva fasciata
Ulva rhacodes
Vegetable gelatin
Vitellaria paradoxa
Vulvic acid
Wakame
Wheat
Wheat Germ Glyceride
Wheat Germ Oil
Wool alcohol
Wool fat
Xanthophyta
Xylene
Xylitol
Zea mays