Discover the truth about non-comedogenic products.
The comedogenic scale tells only part of the story.
Add a cream, some makeup, or oil, and that can be a recipe for surefire congestion.
To understand why that is, lets rewind to the 1970s.
Back then, dermatologists knew that some skin-care ingredients clogged pores, but there was no centralized reference.
Using results from his experiments, Dr. Kligman developed a comedogenicity scale to assign individual ingredients a 0-through-5 rating.
board-certified dermatologist at Skin Wellness in Birmingham, Alabama
The higher the number, the more potential an ingredient had to clog pores.
Early research on comedogenicity came at an inhumane price.
But Dr. Kligmans research came at a terribly inhumane price.
Along with testing on animals,he performed human experiments on primarily Black incarcerated men in Philadelphia.
Decades later, and despite his legacy of disgrace, his comedogenicity scale remains the standard reference.
It really depends on your skin throw in, says Dr. Hartman.
Take coconut oil, which earns a highly cloggy 4 on the comedogenicity scale.
If you have very dry skin and minimal pores, then go for it, he says.
In-demand Los Angeles estheticianBiba De Sousasays that comedogenic beauty products cause the majority of her clients problem.
My mission is to make it known that treating it is possible.
Clients can keep using existing products that are unlikely to cause problems.
Otherwise, she steers them toward pore-friendly substitutions that she deems acne-safe.
Comedogenic ingredients are not all comedogenic for one specific person, she says.
Comedogenic ingredients are not all comedogenic for one specific person.
If this sounds like you, he recommends incorporating retinol or an alpha-hydroxy acid to help keep pores clear.
I think thats the best way to regulate pores to see to it build-up doesnt occur, he says.
In addition, Koestline recommends doing a patch test before trying any new products.
If it causes problems there, its likely to cause problems on your face.
For acne-prone people, she suggests looking into emulsionstypically, the stuff of lighter moisturizers.
Emulsions are very forgiving, she says.
Beyond that, when you find a product that works for you, stick with it.
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