Is coconut oil comedogenic?

Cleveland Clinic is blunt: coconut oil is highly comedogenic — a pore clogger — and is generally not recommended on the face. It says coconut oil “won’t do much to prevent acne — in fact, it may even cause it,” and that it can clog pores and cause breakouts, especially if your skin is oily.

• It’s linked to blackheads and whiteheads.
• If you’re acne-prone, it suggests keeping it off your shoulders, chest and back too.
• Around thin skin, like under the eyes, it can bring on little bumps called milia.

SourceCleveland Clinic: Is Coconut Oil Good for Your Skin?

A 2018 review of plant oils gives coconut oil’s makeup: about 49% lauric acid, 18% myristic acid and smaller amounts of other fats, with very little linoleic acid (2%). It also cites a trial where coconut oil worked as well and as safely as mineral oil on mild to moderate dry skin, and studies of virgin coconut oil in children with eczema.

For pores, the closest lab grade is for coconut butter, which scored 4 out of 5 in Fulton’s 1989 tables. And Cleveland Clinic’s dermatologists say acne-prone people should generally skip face oils unless they’re labeled noncomedogenic.

SourcesLin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-inflammatory and skin barrier repair effects of topical application of some plant oils. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(1):70 (review).Fulton JE Jr. Comedogenicity and irritancy of commonly used ingredients in skin care products. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1989;40(6):321-333.Cleveland Clinic: Are Face Oils Good for Your Skin? (dermatologists Amy Kassouf, MD, and Alok Vij, MD, August 2022).

On dry skin and away from acne-prone areas, coconut oil is a real moisturizer: Cleveland Clinic says it works as a body moisturizer and can help repair the skin’s barrier, which cuts moisture loss.

There’s even an acne angle — with a big caveat. Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, and in a 2009 lab study lauric acid was the strongest of the common fatty acids at killing the acne bacterium. But that was in a dish, not on skin, and the authors framed it as a possible future treatment — it is not evidence that putting coconut oil on your face helps acne.

SourcesCleveland Clinic: Is Coconut Oil Good for Your Skin?Yang D, et al. The antimicrobial activity of liposomal lauric acids against Propionibacterium acnes. Biomaterials. 2009;30(30):6035-6040 (in vitro).

The viral comedogenic number for coconut oil doesn’t trace to a solid study, and comedogenicity ratings are a weak guide in general: when researchers patch-tested finished products, ones with “comedogenic” ingredients were not always comedogenic, and you can’t tell from an ingredient list whether a product will break you out — only testing the finished product can. “Non-comedogenic” has no FDA definition either. Here the number happens to match what dermatologists say, but your own skin is still the real test.

SourcesDraelos ZD, DiNardo JC. A re-evaluation of the comedogenicity concept. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;54(3):507-512 (abstract).Kligman AM. Petrolatum is not comedogenic in rabbits or humans. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1996;47(1):41-48.Starzyk T, et al. Comedogenicity in cosmeceuticals: a review of clinical relevance, regulatory gaps, and future directions. JAAD Reviews. 2025;6:78-83.