I have an acne-prone skin and a very oily face. I guess it runs in the family. In the morning after washing my face, my skin becomes rejuvenated, clean, and glowing. However, as soon as midday arrives, my face starts to become very shiny. The sebum that appears of course makes my skin even more prone to acne breakouts.
Do you know that oil is one of the major contributing factor to breakouts? Oil blocks the skin pores and therefore leads to breakouts. That is why oily-skinned people need to control their excess oil production. Choosing the right skincare products is even more important, as you don't want to add more oil to your already oily skin. Take note though, that not all oils or fats or lipids are comedogenic or pore-clogging. Some are in fact very good moisturizers that act not only as lubricants but also as a barrier between your skin and the harsh entities from the environment.
However, it is not that simple to just list down all the acne causing ingredients in order to completely avoid breakouts. In addition, it is often difficult to determine an ingredient's comedogenic potential, as researches often show inconsistent results. More so, the combination of certain ingredients changes the comedogenic potential of the final mixture of the product. Even skincare products having no comedogenic ingredients at all may possibly cause breakout.
The verdict? Well, more research is needed, but for now, learn all you can about the ingredients' current information. You may not correctly predict a certain product's comedogenicity based on the ingredients alone, yet there are certainly some ingredients that you definitely need to avoid. These are the heavy and penetrating oils or fatty acids such as cocoa butter, isopropyl myristate, and lauric acid. For cosmetics, avoid mica (a mineral that adds shimmer to your skin) and coal tar derivatives as they are highly irritating to the skin. Here's a helpful link I've found that lists down all the ingredients that are comedogenic and irritating.
Of course, the bottom line is to use your common sense. If you notice that your skin breaks out after using a certain product, discontinue usage. To be on the safe side, always try a new product in a small area behind your ear and wait three days to check for any sign of irritation. If you find no bad effects, then go ahead and use the product!
UPDATE: In my latest post, I've listed the highly comedogenic ingredients commonly found in skincare products. It is a summary of a study conducted by James E. Fulton.
