Anyone who has acne-prone skin knows how scary it can be to try a new skincare product—it can feel great on the skin in the moment, but can leave your skin red, irritated and congested by the next morning. With green-washing and ingredient-shaming being so rampant, it is important to note that skincare is not one-size-fits-all and that while parabens may be safe—and will not affect your friend's dry skin—it may cause acne in yours. The best way to know if something won't work for you is to phase new products in and out, so you can pick out the ones that are causing breakouts instead of healing your skin. To make this easier, we spoke to the pros to emphasise some comedogenic ingredients you can keep an eye out for.
Coconut oil
“Although coconut oil is a rich source of hydrating triglycerides like oleic, linoleic acid and lauric acid, when applied on acne-prone skin, it can block the pores, trapping dirt, sebum and dead cells inside. While linoleic acid (unsaturated oil) might benefit skin, oleic and lauric acid are responsible for congested skin,” says Dr Veenu Jindal, consultant dermatologist, Max Multi Speciality Centre, New Delhi. Instead, pick products that have argan oil as an emollient, which is rich in linoleic acid, which reduces inflammation in your skin and has antiseptic properties to help heal current zits.
Lanolin
Lanolin is an oily, waxy substance derived from sheep wool. “Its calming and conditioning properties makes it very popular to treat dry or cracked skin. It helps to retain moisture, making it a relatively common ingredient in moisturisers and creams. But lanolin is also known to clog pores, triggering a cycle of what is called comedonal acne or flesh-coloured papules. In some cases, lanolin has been reported to aggravate the acne itself,” explains Dr Satish Bhatia, Mumbai-based dermatologist and cutaneous surgeon.
Algae extract
This might show up as plankton extract or carrageenan on an ingredient list, and while it might balance sebum production and act as an anti-inflammatory product, it can be comedogenic, so it could cause whiteheads and blackheads.
Isopropyl myristate/Isopropyl palmitate
Isopropyl myristate and isopropyl palmitate are emollients that help to strengthen the skin barrier and help the moisture stay locked in. It is present in many anti-ageing creams as it helps in better penetration of other ingredients. However, if you have acne-prone skin, stay away from this ingredient, says Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, consultant dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon, Medlinks, Delhi. “They have strong comedogenic properties and can cause breakouts if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin,” he adds.