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Comedogenic Scale and the Use of Oil with Acne-Prone Skin

If you are a teen or an adult suffering from acne breakouts, life feels like one long battle. There are various things to consider adjusting in your diet, lifestyle, and skincare products, but is oil one of the things that you should avoid?

Oils bond and clean oily skin

Have a look at our article about how soap works to clean and disinfect your skin. Oil molecules unlike water and alcohol stick to and work to remove oils already on your skin. Water will attempt to rinse the oil off, and alcohol will dilute the oil, but only oil can actually effectively remove the oils that clog the pores of our skin.


Not all oils are the same!

Different types of oils have different characteristics. If you suffer from acne, and even if you do not, you need to consider the characteristics of the oil that you apply to your face and other parts of your body.

Comedogenic Scale

The comedogenic scale is a rating system that roughly indicates how likely an oil is to clog pores. While everyone is different, this rating system is a great reference point to help you read your product labels and avoid accidentally causing a problem on your skin. The scores range from 0 to 5:


0: Will not clog pores at all

1: Very low likelihood of clogging pores

2: The moderately low likelihood of clogging pores

3: Moderate likelihood of clogging pores

4: Fairly high likelihood of clogging pores

5: The highest likelihood of clogging pores


Linoleic Acid

Linoleic acid is the oil most recommended for acne-prone skin. Research has shown that acne sufferers have a lower concentration of linoleic acid on their skin's surface, which could be contributing to their clogged pores.


There's no evidence that low linoleic acid on the skin's surface is correlated to levels in the whole body, so supplementing orally doesn't seem to make a difference. Linoleic acids have a shorter shelf life, but when combined with high antioxidant essential oils (many of which are also great for addressing acne), they can last on the shelves as carrier oils for much longer.


Oils rich in Linoleic Acid

Of the oils used by and sold by Our Aroma, the following oils are high in linoleic acids:

  • Argan oil

  • Grapeseed oil

  • Rosehip seed oil

Our Aroma is the world's leader in creating all-natural bath and body, and skincare products that are good for you and the environment! Contact us to schedule a time to create your own products in one of our stores near you.

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