Is jojoba oil comedogenic?

In Fulton’s rabbit-ear test, jojoba oil scored 0 to 2 out of 5 for comedogenicity, and 0 out of 5 for irritation. On Fulton’s own scale, 0–1 is not significant, 2–3 borderline, and 4–5 positive.

These grades come from rabbit ears: the ingredient applied daily, five days a week for two weeks, usually diluted to 10% in propylene glycol. The grade also shifts with the vehicle and the raw-material source, so one number isn’t the whole story.

SourceFulton JE Jr. Comedogenicity and irritancy of commonly used ingredients in skin care products. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1989;40(6):321-333.

Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Alok Vij points out that jojoba is technically a wax, and that it is “very close in composition to your skin’s normal sebum.” A 2018 review of plant oils describes the same thing in chemistry terms: jojoba is high in wax esters, very resistant to going rancid, and it mostly stays on the skin’s surface instead of sinking in.

Dr. Vij says jojoba is “not going to overhydrate, make your skin too oily or block your pores,” and calls allergic reactions very uncommon. If you have acne, rosacea or eczema, he still suggests trying it on a small area first.

SourcesCleveland Clinic: How Jojoba Oil Benefits Your Hair and Skin (dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, July 2023).Lin 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).

The study usually cited for jojoba and acne is a 2012 German pilot: people with mild acne used a healing-clay and jojoba oil mask two to three times a week for six weeks. Among the 133 who reported complete counts, the total number of spots fell by 54% on average.

Read it with care. It was an open study with no comparison group, and the mask was clay plus jojoba, so it can’t show that jojoba alone did the work. The authors call it “preliminary evidence.”

SourceMeier L, Stange R, Michalsen A, Uehleke B. Clay jojoba oil facial mask for lesioned skin and mild acne: results of a prospective, observational pilot study. Forsch Komplementmed. 2012;19(2):75-79.

In the same 1989 tables, plain jojoba oil scored 0 to 2, while sulfated jojoba oil, a chemically treated form used in some products, scored 3. If an ingredient list says “sulfated jojoba oil,” it’s not the grade on this page.

SourceFulton JE Jr. Comedogenicity and irritancy of commonly used ingredients in skin care products. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1989;40(6):321-333.

A human-skin model found the rabbit ear more sensitive than human skin: weak rabbit comedogens were judged probably safe, except perhaps for acne-prone people. When finished products were patch-tested on acne-prone backs, products containing comedogenic ingredients were not necessarily comedogenic.

Comedogenic risk also depends on concentration. Ingredients that clog pores when applied neat showed no effect at the under-15% levels typical of face products, and you cannot tell from an ingredient list whether a product will cause acne — only testing the finished product can.

SourcesMills OH Jr, Kligman AM. A human model for assessing comedogenic substances. Arch Dermatol. 1982;118(11):903-905 (abstract).Draelos 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: a critical reappraisal of the rabbit ear assay and the concept of 'acne cosmetica'. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1996;47(1):41-48.

The AAD tells acne-prone people to look for products labeled “non-comedogenic” or “won’t clog pores.” But “non-comedogenic” has no FDA definition, so a brand can use the label without any standard test behind it. The honest takeaway: a single comedogenicity number — high or low — is a weak guide. If a product breaks you out, that is the real test.

SourcesAmerican Academy of Dermatology: Acne: Tips for managing.Starzyk T, Aust N, Schur N, Miller R. Comedogenicity in cosmeceuticals: a review of clinical relevance, regulatory gaps, and future directions. JAAD Reviews. 2025;6:78-83 (open access).U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Cosmetics Labeling Claims.