Acne.org Products
Hi guys. I'm struggling to make decisions here about my skincare products.
I have realized there isn't a single cause or cure for my acne. It's caused by a combination of things (hormones, diet, heat, stress etc.) and I try to do what I can to limit triggers. There are some things I can't really change at present like hormones and stress but I can alter my diet for example and the products I use on my skin and hair. The thing is, if you read around on various websites, there are long lists of ingredients put into skincare products that are claimed to be comedogenic or irritating and known to aggravate acne. These range from 0 up to 5 as I'm sure you know, yet I'm surprised to find that if you look at the ingredients lists of products designed for acne/rosacea/oily or clogged skin, many products actually include these ingredients.
Websites generally advise against using any product/ingredient that is above a 3 on the comedogenic scale but my skin is so congested that I'm scared to use anything above 0. Obviously this is unrealistic as almost every product on the market contains ingredients that are rated at least a 2, and then there are the ingredients like alcohol which are said to irritate skin and therefore aggravate acne, and ingredients which may not be rated as comedogenic or irritating but nevertheless cause adverse reactions in a minority of people.
I know that everyone's skin is different and just because a certain ingredient is said to be comedogenic or irritating, that's not to say it will clog your pores or break you out. However, for the most part I'm just not willing to take that risk. If a product contains just one ingredient that is rated a 2 then I will give it a go, but if I see 2 or 3 ingredients rated a 2 then I think it's more than likely to be comedogenic and if there's anything rated 3 or higher, I won't even take the chance.
This leaves me struggling to find products that I can actually use and I'm wondering if I'm being over cautious and missing out on the benefits that some products could offer me, despite the fact they contain comedogenic ingredients. For example, I recently tried a sample of Paula's Choice Skin balancing oil reducing cleanser for a couple of days which really helped reduce my oily skin but then I started looking into ingredients and noticed sodium chloride (rated a 5) and cetearyl alcohol (rated a 2). Not only do I not want to end up with worse acne from testing these products, I'm tired of wasting my time and money on these big companies that promise you great skin yet sell you products filled with irritating and comedogenic ingredients.
Does anyone have any advice? At what point would you rate a product "comedogenic"?
Its hard.. I thnk you need to pay attention to the order of ingredients. If it has a comedogenic ingrediant at the bottom of the list, then I think it's generally fine. That means it has a lesser value in the product and will be very 'watered' down by the other ingredients. If the comedogenic ingredient is near the top, then it's something to avoid as there is a large number.
i've gotten into the habit of checking everything on cosdna and its making me so paranoid! Realistically though, anything and everything can break anyone out. Some people break out from noncomedogenic ingredients, whilst others dont break out from the most comedogenic. It's about finding a product that works for you, rather than focusing on individual ingredients
I agree, cetyl alcohol and sodium chloride arw used in tiny amounts in formulations and never caused me any trouble whatsoever. They were tested in large amounts and 100 percent concentration which is no reflection of how they are used in products. If you spot something at 3 scale in the second half of the ingredients list most of the time is OK. Most moisturisers are nearly mostly water and glycerin and or oils anyway!
I'm not a massive fun of Paula choice but I agree with her 100 percent that what is worse than small amounts of clogging ingredients are ingredients that are drying and irritating because that will cause inflammation and more dead skin cells. It's the that you should watch out for! Works for me 
Saying that, some stuff is just clogging for me, even diluted in a formulation, for example olive oil, argan oil, jojoba oil (I KNOW!!!!)...
I remember reading somewhere that the way things are tested is also kinda weird. Like for each ingredient, just that one ingredient is applied to skin twice a day for 7 days without being washed off or anything else being put on the skin (or something along those lines). So the testing has such little in common with the overall product with a mix of ingredients and the way it would be used that it is pretty questionable how useful it really is. I honestly cannot remember where I read that, and it could be the 'old way' or something. Anyway, I guess any info is useful, but I'd agree it's more trial and error and figuring out what works for you!
On 28/04/2016 at 1:17 AM, Lore91 said:Its hard.. I thnk you need to pay attention to the order of ingredients. If it has a comedogenic ingrediant at the bottom of the list, then I think it's generally fine. That means it has a lesser value in the product and will be very 'watered' down by the other ingredients. If the comedogenic ingredient is near the top, then it's something to avoid as there is a large number.
i've gotten into the habit of checking everything on cosdna and its making me so paranoid! Realistically though, anything and everything can break anyone out. Some people break out from noncomedogenic ingredients, whilst others dont break out from the most comedogenic. It's about finding a product that works for you, rather than focusing on individual ingredients
21 hours ago, Iwikiwi said:I agree, cetyl alcohol and sodium chloride arw used in tiny amounts in formulations and never caused me any trouble whatsoever. They were tested in large amounts and 100 percent concentration which is no reflection of how they are used in products. If you spot something at 3 scale in the second half of the ingredients list most of the time is OK. Most moisturisers are nearly mostly water and glycerin and or oils anyway!
I'm not a massive fun of Paula choice but I agree with her 100 percent that what is worse than small amounts of clogging ingredients are ingredients that are drying and irritating because that will cause inflammation and more dead skin cells. It's the that you should watch out for! Works for me
Saying that, some stuff is just clogging for me, even diluted in a formulation, for example olive oil, argan oil, jojoba oil (I KNOW!!!!)...
20 hours ago, WittySock said:I remember reading somewhere that the way things are tested is also kinda weird. Like for each ingredient, just that one ingredient is applied to skin twice a day for 7 days without being washed off or anything else being put on the skin (or something along those lines). So the testing has such little in common with the overall product with a mix of ingredients and the way it would be used that it is pretty questionable how useful it really is. I honestly cannot remember where I read that, and it could be the 'old way' or something. Anyway, I guess any info is useful, but I'd agree it's more trial and error and figuring out what works for you!
Thanks for the replies guys. So there really is no way of telling if a product or ingredient will break you out. Treating acne is a minefield 🙁