What If My Product Contains Pore Clogging Ingredients?

I can’t even count how frequently people ask about pore clogging ingredients. The most common question is why some of the products I suggest include such ingredients; why tretinoin has isopropyl palmitate in it.

There is really no such thing as universally pore clogging ingredients. Your product might be labeled as having a pore clogging ingredient and never break out, while a free clog pore ingredient product could still trigger acne.

I wish skincare was as simple as keeping pore clogging ingredients list away, but it just doesn’t work that way.

What Are Pore Clogging Ingredients?

As pore clogging ingredients do not really exist, what people are really looking for are ingredients ranked above 1 on the comedogenicity scale. The word comedogenic is simply a way to rank the possibilities of causing clog pores by any ingredient, with most skincare ingredients falling somewhere between 0–5.

Lately, there’s been a popular trend on social media around buying only products that claim to be free from pore clogging ingredients. Honestly, it is a little sad, as those posts mostly come from people who do not know much. Many people spend so much money buying these safe products, only to still end up dealing with breakouts.

What Is The Comedogenicity Scale?

The comedogenicity scale was created to rank how pore clogging skincare ingredients might be. Its example comes from a study in the 1970s, where ingredients were run pore clogging test like on rabbit ears. 

Rabbit ears are far more sensitive than human skin, which means they reacted faster and more strongly, leading to many false positives. Ingredients were labeled as comedogenic when, in reality, they don’t actually.

Even the researchers said that rabbit pores are larger than human pores, varying in size. Because of this a lot of confusion and disagreement were created over what actually counted as acne. So, while you’ll still see non-comedogenic products marketed everywhere, the truth is that the science behind that label is complex at best. 

Instead of chasing claims, it is often better to target gentle, effective routines and the using best skin barrier products for clog-prone skin, which do far more for preventing breakouts in the long run.

What Does Clogging Even Mean?

Let’s put it in this way; two people try the same sunscreen and both end up with breakouts. One gets a few red pimples, while the other gets closed comedones. Neglecting their genes, skin type and skin care routine differences, would they both review the sunscreen as pore clogging? Maybe yes.

Pore clogging does not mean the same to everyone. For one person it might be some tiny bumps, while another might see whiteheads or pimples. To make it even more confusing, sometimes an allergic reaction or irritation can appear like a breakout. This explains why so many people have different experiences and opinions about the same product.

If you are fighting clogged pores and confused how to clear clogged pores the right way, it is less about avoiding specific pore clogging ingredients and more about finding the right balance by using best sunscreens for closed comedones, best moisturizers for clog pores, exfoliators for every skin types and skin barrier support.

The Presence Of A Pore Clogger Doesn’t Equal A Pore Clogging Product

I would say this is the skincare topic I love to talk about. Just because a product contains pore clogging ingredients does not mean it will actually clog your pores. Here’s why:

The Poison Is In The Dose

Drinking the right amount of water will make you feel great, but drinking extra water can definitely harm you. The same goes for skincare, it is all about the right dose. Just like some medicines are safe in the correct quantity but harmful in overdose, skincare ingredients can be fine when used properly.

Some people are also more sensitive than others. They get allergic or reaction to one dose which might be working perfectly for the other person. That is why everyone’s experience with skincare is unique; there is no one-size-fits-all answer, even when it comes to so-called “pore clogging” ingredients.

When you look at a product label, you might notice a pore clogging ingredient at the beginning, middle, or end of the list. This order tells you how much of the ingredient is in the formula – higher amounts appear first, while very small amounts are listed last. 

I use a Cetaphil moisturizer twice a day that is formulated with isopropyl palmitate (often questioned in pore clogging tests) right at the end of the list. Because it’s present in such a tiny amount, it hasn’t caused me any breakouts; I’ve been using it for years with clear, clog-free skin.

The Formula Matters

Different pore clogging ingredients when mixed with other formulas decide whether they actually cause breakouts depending on how they are combined and how your skin responds.

Different Skin Types (And Genes)

This is not just about whether your skin is oily, dry, or combination it actually relates to genetics. Just like allergens and sensitivities, some people are allergic to skincare products while some are not. 

Think of it like a nut allergy, you might react to some nuts but be fine with others. The same applies to skincare: you may tolerate a 1% strength of an ingredient but break out at 5%.

You shall also read Should You Wash Your Face After A Facial? – The Hidden Tricks

Your Routine Makes A Difference

The other products in your routine also play a big role. This is another reason why your friends might favor a product while it breaks you out they’re using it alongside different products than you are.

How To Determine Whether Your Product Will Clog Your Pores

One thing that I have learned about skincare is you can never predict how your skin will react to a pore clogging ingredient. On paper, an ingredient might sound fine, but in reality your skin can have its own opinion. That’s why I always patch test before committing to a new product.

Here’s how I do it:

• I apply the product to just one side of my jawline or half my face.
• I check the very next day to see if my skin looks or feels different.
• I keep repeating this for about a week, since most reactions to pore clogging ingredients or activities show up within 24–48 hours.
• If something feels off irritation, bumps, or clogged pores  I stop right there.

Sometimes a product will pass the patch test, and I’ll start using it all over my face. But even weeks later, I might realize it’s still causing issues, like subtle congestion or breakouts. That’s just the tricky part about pore clogging products; they don’t always show their true colors right away.

Until science gives us a better pore clogging test, patch testing is the most reliable way to figure out what works for your skin. It’s not perfect, but it beats the frustration of guessing.

My Philosophy On Skincare For Clog Prone Skin

I think it’s pretty straightforward: I avoid products that have really high amounts of comedogenic ingredients especially those that rate a 3–5 on the scale, like coconut oil. It is not like that I stay away from every single pore clogging ingredient.

Plenty of the products I use contain small amounts of pore clogging ingredient and yet, my skin stays clear. For me, the rule of thumb is no more than three in one formula.

From experience, I’ve noticed that rich creams tend to clog my skin. But it’s not always because they’re rich or thick in texture. Usually, it comes down to the same few ingredients that my skin personally doesn’t agree with shea butter being one of them.

I know plenty of people with breakout-prone skin who do just fine with shea butter, which proves how much of this comes down to individual skin chemistry.

So if a brand makes a cream that feels rich but skips the usual suspects (like the heavier oils or butters I don’t tolerate well), I’m always open to giving it a try.

Why Is Isopropyl Palmitate In Tretinoin?

The simple presence of a “pore clogger” doesn’t make a product automatically pore clogging in real life. That belief largely comes from the pore clogging rating system, which, fun fact, was originally tested on rabbits! some human studies are present too but usually with fewer than 10 participants, which is a laughably small and non-representative sample size. On top of that, many of these tests are carried out on back skin, not facial skin (which makes the results even less relevant).

If you think about it logically, there are hundreds of thousands of people around the world using tretinoin without developing clogged pores. Many tretinoin formulations contain isopropyl palmitate, a common so-called pore clogging ingredient. Clearly, a single ingredient does not automatically guarantee breakouts  it’s all about the bigger picture: formulation, concentration, and your individual skin.

For anyone curious, I’ve put together a list of the products that have worked well for me, organized by category:

• Sunscreen
• Skin barrier products
• Moisturizers
• Water-based cleansers
• Oil and balm cleansers
• Retinoids
• Eye creams
• Accessories and supplements