What Is the Comedogenic Scale — And Why It Matters for Your Skin
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If you've ever broken out after trying a new moisturizer and wondered why, the comedogenic scale might have your answer. It's one of the most useful tools in understanding how skincare ingredients interact with your skin — and yet most people have never heard of it.
Here's everything you need to know, and why it shapes every ingredient decision we make at Oceanic Organics.
What Does "Comedogenic" Mean?
The word comedogenic comes from comedo — the clinical term for a clogged pore. A comedone is what forms when dead skin cells, oil, and debris block a hair follicle. Whiteheads and blackheads are both types of comedones.
So when we say an ingredient is comedogenic, we mean it has a tendency to clog pores. And when we say it's non-comedogenic, we mean it doesn't.
Simple enough — but the reality is a little more nuanced than a yes or no.
The Comedogenic Scale Explained
The comedogenic scale rates ingredients from 0 to 5 based on their likelihood of clogging pores:
| Rating | What It Means |
|---|---|
| 0 | Will not clog pores at all |
| 1 | Very low likelihood of clogging pores |
| 2 | Moderately low — generally safe for most skin types |
| 3 | Moderate — may cause issues for acne-prone skin |
| 4 | Fairly high — likely to clog pores for many people |
| 5 | Highly comedogenic — avoid if prone to breakouts |
The scale was originally developed in the 1970s by dermatologists researching acne causes. Ingredients were tested by applying them to rabbit ears and observing whether they caused comedones to form. While the science has evolved since then, the scale remains a widely referenced starting point for understanding pore-clogging potential.
Why Your Moisturizer Might Be Breaking You Out
Here's where it gets interesting — and frustrating.
Many popular skincare ingredients that appear in products marketed as moisturizing, nourishing, or even "natural" score surprisingly high on the comedogenic scale. Some common offenders:
- Coconut oil — scores a 4. Beloved in the wellness world, but one of the more comedogenic oils out there, particularly for acne-prone skin.
- Wheat germ oil — scores a 5. Highly comedogenic despite being plant-based and "natural."
- Algae extract — scores a 5. Found in many high-end skincare lines.
- Isopropyl myristate — scores a 5. A synthetic emollient found in countless mainstream moisturizers.
- Flaxseed oil — scores a 4.
The takeaway? Natural doesn't automatically mean non-comedogenic. And synthetic doesn't automatically mean harmful. What matters is the actual ingredient and how it interacts with your skin.
So Where Does Beef Tallow Fall?
This is the question we get asked most — and the answer surprises a lot of people.
Beef tallow scores a 0–1 on the comedogenic scale.
That's right. The ingredient that sounds the most unusual — the one that makes people raise an eyebrow — is actually one of the least likely to clog your pores.
The reason comes down to biology. Beef tallow's fatty acid composition closely mirrors the sebum your skin naturally produces. It contains oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid in ratios that are remarkably similar to human skin lipids. Because of this, your skin recognizes tallow and absorbs it readily, rather than sitting on top of the skin and blocking pores.
Our skin evolved alongside animal fats. For centuries, before petrochemicals and synthetic emollients took over the beauty industry, tallow was a staple skincare ingredient. It wasn't replaced because something better came along — it was replaced because synthetic alternatives were cheaper to produce at scale.
The Oceanic Organics Approach
When we formulated our tallow balm, the comedogenic scale was one of our first reference points. Every ingredient we chose had to earn its place — not just for its skin benefits, but for its safety across all skin types, including sensitive, pregnant, and baby skin.
Here's how our key ingredients score:
| Ingredient | Comedogenic Rating |
|---|---|
| Organic Beef Tallow | 0–1 |
| Jojoba Oil | 0–2 |
| Frankincense Oil | 0–1 |
| Rosemary Oil | 0–1 |
| Arrowroot Powder | 0 |
Every single ingredient in our formula sits at the low end of the scale. Not by accident — by design.
We believe that deeply nourishing skin and keeping pores clear are not competing goals. You shouldn't have to choose between moisture and breakouts. The right ingredients, chosen carefully and used in their purest form, can do both.
A Note on Skin Type
It's worth saying that the comedogenic scale is a guide, not a guarantee. Everyone's skin is different, and factors like skin type, hormones, climate, and how a product is formulated all influence how your skin responds to an ingredient.
That said, starting with low-comedogenic ingredients is always the safest bet — especially if you have acne-prone, sensitive, or reactive skin. And if you're pregnant or postpartum, when hormonal shifts can make skin behave unpredictably, choosing ingredients with a low comedogenic rating gives you one less thing to worry about.
The Bottom Line
The comedogenic scale is one of the most practical tools for making smarter skincare choices. It cuts through marketing language and gets to the science of how an ingredient actually behaves on your skin.
At Oceanic Organics, we believe you deserve to know exactly what you're putting on your skin — and why we chose it. The comedogenic scale is just one part of that story, but it's an important one.
Clean skincare isn't just about removing harmful ingredients. It's about replacing them with ones that genuinely work with your skin, not against it.
That's what every jar of our tallow balm is built on.
Ready to try skincare that works with your skin's natural biology? Shop the Oceanic Organics tallow balm at oceanicorganics.co
Pregnancy safe · Non-comedogenic · Small batch · Zero synthetics
Sources: Kligman, A.M. & Mills, O.H. (1972). Acne cosmetica. Archives of Dermatology. Fulton, J.E. (1989). Comedogenicity and irritancy of commonly used ingredients in skin care products. Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists.