When making homemade skincare, it's helpful to understand comedogenic ratings and how they inform the design process. These ratings apply to both carrier oils and cosmetic butters, offering a scale from 0 to 5 that indicates the likelihood of an ingredient clogging pores, 0 being least likely, 5 most likely. This scale is especially useful for those with irritated, inflamed, or acne-prone skin, helping them avoid ingredients that may contribute to breakouts or blackheads.
It also helps identify oils suitable for dry, sensitive, combination, or oily skin, allowing for more balanced formulations. Professional aromatherapy formulators rely on this scale to design targeted skin and body care products. You can use it in the same way to create blends tailored to your unique skin type.
Understanding The Comedogenic Scale
The Comedogenic Scale uses a simple numbering system of 0 to 5, and it is easy to understand.
-
- 0 - Will not clog pores
- 1 - Highly unlikely to clog pores
- 2 - Moderately unlikely to clog pores
- 3 - Moderate likelihood of clogging pores
- 4 - Fairly likely to clog pores
- 5 - Highly likely to clog pores
Let’s take a look at this in practice! Why not pay attention as you go through the table to what is likely to suit your own skin type?
| Carrier Oil | Comedogenic Scale Rating | Skin Type & Use | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almond (Sweet) Oil (Prunus dulcis) | 0 | Will not clog pores | Suitable for all skin types, it has a long shelf life. |
| Apricot Kernel Oil (Prunus armeniaca) | 2 | Moderately unlikely | Dry & combination skin types, helps restore moisture loss. |
| Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa) | 0 | Will not clog pores | Suitable for all skin types. A rich, powerhouse oil for skin and hair. |
| Avocado Oil (Persea gratissima) | 3 | Moderate likelihood of clogging pores | Dry, combination & acne-prone skin types. Great for irritated skin. Restrict to 40% of the overall formula for face products. |
| Camellia Oil (Camellia japonica) | 1 | Highly unlikely to clog pores | Suitable for all skin types, wonderful for dry, irritated, and sensitive skin. |
| Castor Oil (Ricinus communis) | 1 | Highly unlikely to clog pores | Most skin types, especially dry and acne-prone skin. Restrict to 40% of the overall formula for face products. |
| Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera) | 4 | Fairly likely to clog pores | Best for body care, recommended only for very limited and targeted use on the face. |
|
Coconut MCT Oil (Cocos nucifera) |
2-3 | Moderate likelihood of clogging pores | Suitable for all skin types, no oily residue, absorbs quickly and completely. |
| Grapeseed Oil (Vitis vinifera) | 1 | Highly unlikely to clog pores | Suitable for most skin types, easily absorbed, and lightweight. |
| Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis sativa) | 0 | Will not clog pores | Most skin types, especially dry and acne-prone skin. Rich in anti-inflammatory constituents. |
| Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis) | 2 | Moderately unlikely | Most skin types, especially dry and acne-prone skin. Regulates and balances sebum production. |
| Olive Oil (Olea europaea) | 2 | Moderately unlikely | Dry, combination & acne-prone skin types, great for cleaning and cleansing the skin. |
| Rosehip Oil (Rosa Canina) | 1 | Highly unlikely to clog pores | Dry, combination & acne-prone skin types, scarred skin. Protective powerhouse. Restrict to 10% of the overall formulation for face products. |
| Sea Buckthorn Oil (Hippophae rhamnoides oil) | 1 | Highly unlikely to clog pores | Dry, dehydrated, and damaged skin types, great for skin repair and skin cell regeneration. |
| Sunflower Oil (Helianthus annuus) | 0-2 | Will not clog pores - Moderately unlikely | Suitable for most skin types. Amazing for supporting the skin’s barrier function and protecting the moisture levels in the skin. |
| Tamanu Oil (Calophyllum inophyllum L) | 2 | Moderately unlikely | Oily and acne-prone skin. Very rich in anti-inflammatory constituents, great for wound healing. |
| Wheatgerm Oil (Triticum vulgare) | 5 | 5 - Highly likely to clog pores | Dehydrated skin and damaged skin. Recommended only for limited and targeted use on the face. Great for adding skin resistance to massage blends, restrict to 10% of the overall formulation for face and body products. |
| Cosmetic Butter | Comedogenic Scale Rating | Skin Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao) | 4 | Fairly likely to clog pores | Best for body care, the harder structure makes it an effective skin protectant and moisturizer. Great for preventing stretch marks. |
| Coconut Butter (Cocos nucifera) | 4 | Fairly likely to clog pores | Best for body care, high in fatty acids and antifungal and antibacterial constituents. |
| Cupuacu (Theobroma grandiflorum) | 1-2 | Moderately unlikely | Suitable for very dry, dehydrated skin as it is excellent at absorbing moisture from the air and using it to moisturize and repair the skin's barrier function. |
| Kokum (Garcinia Indica Seed Butter) | 0 | Will not clog pores | Most skin types, especially dry and acne-prone skin. Excellent for sensitive skin and more mature skin. |
| Mango Butter (Mangifera indica) | 2 | Moderately unlikely | Suitable for most skin types, especially those with irritated skin, like dermatitis and eczema. |
| Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii) | 0-2 | Moderately unlikely | Dry, combination & acne-prone skin types. Use it for wound healing and reducing the appearance of scars and stretch marks. |
How To Use The Comedogenic Scale Rating Table
Wondering how to use the Comedogenic Ratings Table? It’s simple—here’s how it works.
For example, I have hypersensitive combination skin, prone to the occasional breakout and enlarged pores.
To address that, I look for carrier oils that:
– Are gentle enough for sensitive skin
– Support both dry and combination areas
– Contain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, especially those suited to acne-prone skin
– Have low comedogenic ratings (ideally 0–1)
By eliminating oils that don’t meet those criteria, I’m left with a focused list of options that are more likely to support and balance my skin. Let’s explore what those might be.
| Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa) | 0 | Will not clog pores | Suitable for all skin types, powerhouse oil for skin and hair. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camellia Oil (Camellia japonica) | 1 | Highly unlikely to clog pores | Suitable for all skin types, wonderful for dry, irritated, and sensitive skin. |
| Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis sativa) | 0 | Will not clog pores | Most skin types, especially dry and acne-prone skin. Rich in anti-inflammatory constituents. |
| Rosehip Oil (Rosa Canina) | 1 | Highly unlikely to clog pores | Dry, combination & acne-prone skin types, scarred skin. Protective powerhouse. Restrict to 10% of the overall formulation for face products. |
| Sea Buckthorn Oil (Hippophae rhamnoides oil) | 1 | Highly unlikely to clog pores | Dry, dehydrated, and damaged skin types, great for skin repair and skin cell regeneration. |
Working Out The Options
This offers me at least five very good carrier oil options for formulating my own handmade skin care formulations. If you look at the cosmetic butters, we can see Kokum and Shea Butter are the better options for my skin type. I can combine these in my skin care recipes and formulations to suit my exact skin type. And it is as easy as that! You can have so much fun making your own bespoke skin and body care products. It’s all very exciting! Why not use this Comedogenic Rating Table to work out the best carrier oils and cosmetic butters for your skin type and develop a tailor-made skin care product for yourself? Start here: Unlock the Power of Aromatherapy: 100 Ways to Use Essential Oils
