Oily Skin: Ingredients and Actives to Avoid in Your Skincare.

The term "comedogenic" comes from the word "comedones" and refers to the property of a cosmetic ingredient or a cosmetic product to clog the sebaceous glands, which are responsible for the production of sebum. However, this blockage prevents the natural evacuation of sebum, which tends to cause various skin problems, such as enlarged pores, open microcysts also known as blackheads or closed microcysts or whiteheads.

The concept of comedogenicity is measured on a scale from 0 to 5. A score of 0 indicates that no comedones have developed, meaning the pores are not clogged, while a score of 5 suggests a high probability that the cosmetic ingredient in question will cause comedones. The comedogenicity index of an ingredient is based, among other things, on its rate of penetration into the superficial layers of the skin and its vulnerability to oxidation. Any ingredient that scores 2 or less is considered non-comedogenic. Here is a list of ingredients to avoid, which are incompatible with oily skin that experiences occasional breakouts.

• The animal waxes: Beeswax and Lanolin;

• Some mineral oils and waxes derived from hydrocarbons, often found in conventional foundations: Paraffinum Liquidum, Cera Microcristallina, Synthetic Wax, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Ceresin Wax, etc... ;

• Some vegetable oils and butters : Triticum Vulgare or Wheat Germ Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan Oil), Persea Gratissima (Avocado Oil), Coco Nucifera or Coconut Butter, Cocoa Butter or Theobroma Cocoa (Cocoa Butter), Butyspermum Parkii or Shea Butter, Rosa Canina or Rosehip Oil, Castor Oil, etc... ;

• The gums and resins : Carageenan (Carrageenan), Algin (Sodium Alginate), Xanthan, etc... ;

• Certain fatty esters : Particularly derivatives of stearic and oleic acids or even isopropyl myristate, the unsaponifiables, squalanes and squalenes, etc...