What to beware of when searching for skincare products to have healthy and glowy skin

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

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Clogged pores are very common in all skin types, but tend to affect people who have oily skin the most.

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In this post, we share information about what causes clogged pores and the most common pore-clogging ingredients found in everyday products that you should be aware of. 

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What Causes Clogged Pores?

Clogged pores, as the name gives away, involve your pores being clogged by dead skin cells, dirt, or oil from your skin. Since your pores are very tiny openings that are in charge of releasing sweat and oil, this accumulation can lead to developing acne.

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They are super common in all skin types, and can also occur in various parts of your body apart from your face, like your neck, shoulders, back, chest and scalp.

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According to the Cleveland Clinic, “(...) clogged pores tend to be more common in adolescents and young adults. During puberty, hormones stimulate the glands that produce oil. But anyone of any age or gender can get clogged pores”.

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About Pore Clogging Ingredients

In most product labels, acne-causing ingredients are referred to as comedogenic, and in this part, we’ll share everything you need to know to easily read and understand what ingredients a product has and if they’re good for your skin.

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Comedogenic comes from the word comedone, which is a clogged pore (hair follicle) that was created from skin debris (also known as keratin) and sebum (which causes oily skin). Whenever you read or hear the word comedogenic, that product or treatment is likely to block pores, therefore, has a higher chance of causing acne.

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For easier understanding, there’s a comedogenic scale that rates ingredients based on their probabilities of clogging pores:

• 0: non-comedogenic. Safe to use, great for your skin.
• 1: slightly comedogenic. Might cause some acne but not much.
• 2-3: moderately comedogenic. Beware of these ingredients/products if your skin is prone to developing acne.
• 4-5: highly comedogenic. I’d advise you to stay as far away as possible from these since they can clog your pores a lot. 

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Common Pore Clogging Ingredients

Now that we’ve discussed what causes clogged pores and the basis of pore-clogging ingredients, it’s time to give you a mini effective guide about which products to be very careful about when shopping or revising your existing one’s labels. 

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1. Shea Butter

Shea butter, although it is marketed for moisturizing your skin, is one of the most unknown pore-clogging ingredients found in products. 

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The thing with coconut butter, coconut oil, and most oils and kinds of butter is that it adds up to the oils (sebum) already secreted by your pores, causing clogging. 

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2. Lauric acid

Lauric acid tends to irritate your skin as well as cause acne. Most products tend to contain lauric acid, and depending on the percentage of it, it might cause more or less acne. Either way, try to stay away from this ingredient if you can. 

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3. Beeswax

Another ingredient that you can find in many products is beeswax, which is a thick ingredient that prevents keratin from leaving your pores, therefore making dirt, sebum and dead skin cells accumulate under your skin, clogging your pores. 

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4. Isopropyl Myristate

This ingredient acts as an emollient for products to have the silky smooth feel. Unfortunately, comes the acne causing potential with this ingredient as it is rather evident on the comedogenic scale. 

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5. Dimethicone

Just like the ingredients mentioned, dimethicone can increase the chances of developing breakouts due to its composition. It is a silicon present in many different products for oily skin, and if you don’t wash your face properly at night, pimples and breakouts can appear after using this ingredient. 

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How To Get Rid Of Clogged Pores

The first step to getting rid of clogged pores is examining the skin care products you’re using to determine which to get rid of. One way to do that is by taking a look at the comedone scale, which some products will transparently share and others won’t.

In this latter case, you can search for a longer list of comedogenic ingredients and start your selection process.

When ceasing the use of products that are clogging your pores, you can see a major improvement in your skin’s breakout tendencies. All in all, Be sure to read your products for the sake of your skin’s health! 

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