Pore Clogging Ingredients

Here’s a list of ingredients you might spot in skincare, makeup, and hair products that could clog your pores and make acne worse. Always double-check the ingredients of any non-Face Reality products you use on your skin or hair, even if they claim to be “Won’t Clog Pores” or “Non-Comedogenic”.

Natural oils, like cocoa butter and coconut oil, are some of the main offenders, often found in “organic” skincare lines. Other oils, such as jojoba, olive, and lanolin, can also cause problems, especially if they’re mixed with other pore-clogging ingredients. Even prescription creams like Retin-A and many over-the-counter acne medications contain ingredients that can clog pores. And don’t assume that "oil-free" means pore-friendly; they can still contain pore-clogging ingredients. This list is just a guide to help you out.

Remember, everyone's skin is unique, so it's essential to pay attention to how your skin reacts to different products. If you need assistance in finding acne-safe products or understanding skincare ingredients better, don't hesitate to ask for guidance!

Pore Clogging Ingredients to Avoid:

• (Coconut) oil
• (Shea) butter
• Acetylated Lanolin
• Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
• Acetylated wool fat
• Acetylated wool wax
• Adansonia Digitata I.
• Agar
• Ahnfeltiopsis concinna extract
• Alaria esculenta extract
• Alga bladderwrack
• Algae Extract
• Algae
• Algea
• Algin
• Alginate
• Alginic Acid
• Aphanothece sacrum polysaccharide
• Arthrospira plantensis
• Ascophyllum nodosum
• Ascophyllum nodosum extract
• Asparagopsis Armata extract
• Bryopsis Africana
• Baobab
• Beeswax
• Bismuth
• Butyl Stearate
• Butyrospermum
• CI 12085
• CI 12120
• CI 26100
• CI 45380
• CI 73360
• Cacao Butter
• Cacao seed butter
• Capea Biruncinata var. Denuda sonder
• Capea Biruncinata var. Elongata sonder
• Carageenan gum
• Carastay C
• Caulerpa filiformis
• Caulerpa lentillifera extract
• Carrageenan
• Caragenan
• Carrageenan
• Cera alba
• Cera bianca
• Cera flava
• Cera Olea
• Cetyl Acetate
• Cetearyl Alcohol + Ceteareth 20
• Cetearyl Alcohol + Ceteareth-20
• Cetyl Acetate
• Chondrus Crispus (aka Irish Moss or Carageenan Moss)
• Chlorella
• Chaetomorpha linum (aerea) cladophora radiosa
• chlamydomonas reinhardtii extract
• chlorophyceae
• cladophora cf. subsimplex
• cladosiphon okamuranus extract
• Cocos Nucifera Seed Butter
• coenochloris signiensis extract
• Corallina offinalis extract
• creosote
• cystoseira tamariscifolia extract
• dictyopteris membranacea
• dictyopteris poly podioides
• dilsea carnosa extract
• dunaliella salina extract
• Durvillaea antartica extract
• ecklonia cava
• ecklonia cava extract
• enteromorpha compressa extract
• eucheuma spinosum extract
• fucoxanthin
• fucus serratus
• fucus vesiculosus
• gamtae extract
• gelidiella acerosa extract
• gelidium amansii extract
• gigartina stellata extract
• glycine max
• glycine soja oil
• gracilariopsis chorda extract
• haematococcus pluvialis
• haematococcus pluvialis extract
• halsae ostrearia extract
• himanthalia elongata extract
• hizikia fusiforme extract
• hydrolyzed rhodophycea extract
• hydrous magnesium silicate
• hypnea musciformis extract
• hypneaceae extract
• jania rubens extract
• kappaphycus alvarezii extract
• karite
• kousou ekisu
• liquor picis carbonis
• lithothamnium calcareum powder
• lpc
• macroalgae
• mangifera indica seed butter
• palmaria palmata extract
• pelvetia canaliculata extract
• phaeodactylum tricornutum extract
• phaeophyceae
• pix carbonis
• polysiphonia elongata extract
• porphyra umbilicalis
• porphyridium
• porphyridium cruentum extract
• potassium salt
• ppg-2 myristyl ether propionate
• pyrene coal tar pitch
• rhodophyceae extract
• rhodophyta
• sargassum filipendula extract
• sargassum fusiforme extract
• sclerocarya birrea
• sclerocarya birrea seed oil
• sea fern
• sesamum indicum
• sheep alcohol
• simmondsia chinensis seed wax
• sles
• sls
• sodium alginate
• soybean
• sphacelaria
• talcum
• tea stearate
• tetradecyl myristate
• theobroma cocoa seed butter
• triticum aestivum
• triticum vulgare
• turkey red oil
• ulva fasciata
• ulva lactuca
• ulva rhacodes
• vegetable gelatin
• vitellaria paradoxa
• wool alcohol
• wool fat
• xanthophyta
• almond oil
• peanut oil
• apricot oil
• apricot kernel oil
• tamanu oil
• Coal Tar
• Cocoa Butter
• Cocoa seed butter
• Coconut Alkanes
• Coconut Butter
• Coconut Nucifera extract
• Coconut Oil
• Coconut extract
• Cocos Nucifera
• Corn oil
• Colloidal Sulfur
• Cotton Awws Oil
• Cotton Seed Oil
• D & C Red # 17
• D & C Red # 21
• D & C Red # 3
• D & C Red # 30
• D & C Red # 36
• Decyl Oleate
• Dioctyl Succinate
• Disodium Monooleamido PEG 2- Sulfosuccinate
• Disodium Monooleamido
• Ecklonia radiata
• Ethoxylated Lanolin
• Ethylhexyl Palmitate
• Glyceryl 3 Diisostearate
• Glyceryl Stearate SE
• Glyceryl-3 Diisostearate
• Hexadecyl Alcohol
• Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
• Hydrogenated Castor Oil
• Isocetyl Alcohol
• Isocetyl Stearate
• Isodecyl Oleate
• Isopropyl Isostearate
• Isopropyl Linolate
• Isopropyl Myristate
• Isopropyl Palmitate
• Isostearyl Isostearate
• Isostearyl Neopentanoate
• Jojoba Wax
• Kelp
• Laminaria
• Laminaria Digitata Extract
• Laminaria Digitata
• Laminaria Saccharina Extract
• Laminaria Saccharine
• Laureth-23
• Laureth 23
• Laureth-4
• Laureth 4
• Lauric Acid
• Linolate
• Macrocystis pyrifera extract
• Mango Butter
• Marula
• Marula oil
• Mink Oil
• Moringa oil
• Moss
• Myristate
• Myristic Acid
• Myristyl
• Myristyl Lactate
• Myristyl Myristate
• Myristyl Propionate
• Octyl Palmitate
• Octyl Stearate
• Oleth-3
• Oleth 3
• Oleyl Alcohol
• PEG 16 Lanolin
• PEG-16 Lanolin
• PEG 2- Sulfosuccinate
• PEG 200 Dilaurate
• PEG 8 Stearate
• PEG-8 Stearate
• PG Monostearate
• PPG 2 Myristyl Propionate
• PPG-2 Myristyl
• Palm oil
• Parkii
• Plankton
• Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
• Polyglyceryl 3 Diisostearate
• Polyglyceryl-3-Diisostearate
• Polyglyceryl-3 Disostearate
• Polyglyceryl 3 Disostearate
• Polyglyceryl-3-Disostearate
• Potassium Chloride
• Propylene Glycol Monostearate
• Pottassium Chloride
• Red Algae
• Red 17
• Red 21
• Red 3
• Red 30
• Red 36
• Seaweed
• Sesame oil
• Shark Liver Oil
• Squalene
• Shea
• Shea Butter
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
• Soja
• Solulan 16
• Sorbitan Oleate
• Soy
• Soybean Oil
• Spirulina
• Starch
• Steareth 10
• Steareth-10
• Stearic Acid Tea
• Stearyl Heptanoate
• Sulfated Castor Oil
• Sulfated Jojoba Oil
• Sulfosuccinate
• Talc
• Theobroma butter
• Theobroma oil
• Undaria Pinnatifida
• Wakame
• Wheat
• Wheat Germ Glyceride
• Wheat Germ Oil
• Xylene
• Zea mays
• Zea mays starch

How can I check my products for pore clogging ingredients?