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What does Non-comedogenic Mean?

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Non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic sound very official and you would assume products labeled with either of those terms would not clog your pores or cause acne correct?  Well, unfortunately, just like hypoallergenic, it is not a FDA defined term. So you can't always trust the label. 

The term non-comedogenic or noncomedogenic does mean it will not cause your pores to clog and cause blackheads (open comedones) or whiteheads (closes comedones).  However, the FDA has not legally defined the term, which means the label MAY NOT be true.  Reputable cosmetic companies (most of them) that label their product "non-comedogenic" do only use ingredients that are not known to cause comedones. But that does not mean a product labeled non-comedogenic will 100% NOT clog your pores or cause a breakout.

How are they tested?  Sadly, usually by rubbing the ingredient inside a rabbit's ear, or hopefully tested on a real human faces.  I am not sure my face is exactly like the inside of a rabbit's ear considering I am allergic to rabbits and not my own face.  

Unfortunately, like hypoallergenic ingredients, just because an ingredient does not cause comedones in EVERYONE, doesn't mean it won't cause you to break out massively.  A great example of this is silicones - most people don't get comedones by using silicones, but a lot of us do. If you break out from silicones, look for any ingredient ending in "cone" and avoid unless it is in a very small amount.

Salicylic Acid (or Beta Hydroxy Acid or BHA) is the only ingredient proven to be able to penetrate the pore and exfolliate inside of it to get all of that gunk out.  But, as I mentioned yesterday, some people are sensitive to salicylic acid.  So patch test. 

If you are buying a product from a reputable company and it says non-comedogenic on the label, you are pretty safe that it is ok for most skin types,  But again, it is your responsibility to read the label and see if there is any ingredient you know will break you out.

Related posts: Should You Buy Hypoallergenic Products?, Does Natural Mean Better? and Who Approves Cosmetics?     

What breaks you out or clogs your pores?

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