ANY ingredient in a skin care or cosmetic product has a risk of clogging pores. Naturally, these includes oils as well. The comedogenic rating is a rating from 0-5 that represents an ingredient's probability to clog pores. In simpler terms, comedogenic ingredients have a higher tendency to produce or aggravate acne and blackheads, whereas non-comedogenic ingredients are less likely to produce such issues. 

all oils have different risk for clogging pores, from almost no chance to highly likely

The following are the what each number represents in the comedogenic scale:

0 - No chance that this will clog pores.

1 - Very low chance of clogging pores

2 - Low chance of clogging pores

3 - Moderate chance of clogging pores

4 - Fairly high chance of clogging pores

5 - High chance of clogging pores

Interpreting the comedogenic rating

The comedogenic rating represents the risks for an ingredient - and not the full product. One way of using the comedogenic rating is to look at the ingredient list. If there are multiple ingredients with 3-5 rating, you might want to consider avoiding the product if you have a tendency to get clogged pores.

Important thing to note is that the ingredient list is in the order from most to least. Meaning that, ingredients in the front will be more abundant in the product, and the product will contain less of the ingredients at the back of the list. This means that when considering the ingredients comedogenic rating, it's also important to consider the amount of the ingredient in the product itself!

clogged pores can lead to a bumpy appearance on the skin. you'll want to avoid oils with high comedogenic rating if you have this issue!

The comedogenic rating is not a definite guide!

The comedogenic rating represents the risks of an ingredient clogging pores. These doesn't take into account differences of the skin of different individuals as well as various environmental factors. A classic example is Virgin Coconut Oil that regularly has a rating of 4. Despite this,  there are plenty that can use virgin coconut oil as a daily moisturiser with excellent results. The comedogenic rating should be used as a rough guide and a starting point to determine if a product is suitable for you. We always recommend a patch test before starting to integrate a product into your routine! 

Aside from that, it's also important to remember that we all have different skin that are sensitive to different things. We are also exposed to different environments, from the air we breath daily, to our daily foods as well as habits. These factors are not taken into account in the comedogenic rating.

argan pure oil - our superstar for those with oily skin and high chance of clogged pores. Not only does it have a 0 comedogenic rating, it helps to control sebum production and control oily skin

The comedogenic rating of Root Remedies oils

Finally, here is a list of the comedogenic rating of our Pure Oils:

Argan Pure Oil - 0

Sea Buckthorn Pure Oil - 1

Rosehip Pure Oil - 1

Tamanu Pure Oil - 2

Black Seed Pure Oil -2

Virgin Coconut Pure Oil - 4