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Carrier oils and butters: are they comedogenic?

 

An oil is called comedogenic if it causes the formation of Comedones. Comedones are imperfections of the skin also known as pimples, microcysts or blackheads. They appear when pores get clogged by an excess of sebum and impurities. People with mixed to oily skins complexions, especially young skin (teenagers), are generally more prone to Comedones

A comedogenic oil is therefore an oil that will promote the formation of these imperfections and therefore clog pores in the long term.

These oils are nevertheless useful, especially for dry or atopic skins, to help with specific skin conditions such as wrinkles, stretch marks or simply to rehydrate a very dry skin.

COMEDOGENIC INDEX

Each oil has an index of comedogenicity that ranges from 0 to 5, with index 0 being non-comedogenic and index 5 highly comedogenic.

Oils with a low index between 0 and 2 will be recommended for oily to mixed skins, while normal to dry skins will be able to use all oils.

To help you in your choice of carrier oils, here is a small non-exhaustive list of oils according to their comedogenicity index.

COMEDOGENIC TABLE OF CARRIER OILS AND BUTTERS

IS THIS OIL COMEDOGENIC (Causes clogging of pores)?

0=NO, 1 to 2 = HARDLY, 3 to 4 = YES, 5= VERY

0 -NO: will not clog pores

1 -HARDLY: low probability of clogging pores

2 -HARDLY: low to moderate probability of clogging pores

3 -YES: moderate probability

4 -YES: moderate to high probability

5 -VERY: will most probably clog pores

 

Name

Comedogenic Rating

Skin Type(s)

Almond Oil, Sweet

2

Dry, Sensitive, Acne Prone

Apricot Kernel Oil

2

Combination, Dry

Argan Oil

0

Most Skin Types

Avocado Oil

3

Dry, Acne Prone

Baobab Seed Oil

2

Most Skin Types

Black Cumin Seed Oil

2

Combination

Carrot Seed Oil

3-4

Dry, Mature

Castor Oil

1

Most Skin Types, including Acne Prone & Oily

Cocoa Butter

4

Ideal for Body & Eye Area, NOT for Oily & Acne Prone

Coconut Butter

4

Very Dry, Best for Body Use

Coconut Oil

4

Very Dry, Best for Body Use

Flax Seed Oil (Linseed)

4

Very Dry, Best for Body Use

Grapeseed Oil

1

Most Skin Types

Jojoba Oil

2

Most Skin Types, including Oily & Acne Prone

Macadamia Nut Oil

2-3

Dry

Mango Butter

2

Most Skin Types

Mango Seed Oil

2

Most Skin Types, particularly Dry

Moringa Oil

3-4

Dry, Combination

Neem Oil

1-2

Dry, Acne Prone

Olive Oil

2

Dry, Acne Prone

Passionfruit (Maracuja) Seed Oil

1-2

Oily, Irritated, Acne Prone

Peach Kernel Oil

2

Dry, Sensitive

Pomegranate Seed Oil

1

Most Skin Types, especially Mature

Rice Bran Oil

2

Most Skin Types, especially Mature & Combination

Rosehip Seed Oil

1

Oily, Acne Prone

Safflower Oil (High Linoleic)

0

Most Skin Types

Shea Butter

0-2

Normal, Dry

Soybean Oil

4-5

Very Dry, Atopic, Target, Best for Body Use

Sunflower Seed Oil

0-2

Most Skin Types

Tamanu Oil

2

Most Skin Types, especially Scarred & Sensitive

Wheat Germ Oil

5

Very Dry, Atopic, Damaged, Spot Treatment

Ximenia

0-2

Ideal for Body, hair & Eye Area, Dry to very dry, Atopic, Mature