Which oils won’t clog pores?

Paste an ingredient list, or pick one ingredient. See each one’s published lab grade, 0 to 5.

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Grades from the 1989 and 1984 rabbit-ear papers, never estimated.
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The lab sheet

  1. ✓Label
  2. 2Lab sheet
  3. 3Meaning
Rabbit-ear gradesFulton 1989 & 1984 tables
Tap a row for its notes.
What this means

What it means

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  2. ✓Lab sheet
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Sources, opened and read Nov 8, 2026

    Everything in this tool, in full

    AnswerSafflower and sunflower oil scored 0. Cocoa and coconut butter scored 4, the top grade for a natural fat.

    The oils, butters, waxes and oily esters of the classic 1989 rabbit-ear table, on its 0–5 scale. Popular oils the table never tested sit apart, with no number.

    1. Acetylated Lanolin
      Pore rating 0
    2. Behenyl Erucate
      Pore rating 0
    3. Behenyl Triglyceride
      Pore rating 0
    4. Ceresin
      Pore rating 0
    5. Cetyl Palmitate
      Pore rating 0
    6. Diisopropyl Adipate
      Pore rating 0
    7. Diisopropyl Dimerate
      Pore rating 0
    8. Emulsifying Wax NF
      Pore rating 0
    9. Octyldodecyl Stearate
      Pore rating 0
    10. Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
      Pore rating 0
    11. Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate
      Pore rating 0
    12. PetrolatumGraded in the 1984 table.
      Pore rating 0
    13. Safflower OilCarthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oilFulton: safflower and sunflower are “naturally less comedogenic”.
      Pore rating 0
    14. Sunflower OilHelianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oilFulton: safflower and sunflower are “naturally less comedogenic”.
      Pore rating 0
    15. Tridecyl Neopentanoate
      Pore rating 0
    16. Maleated Soybean OilA chemically modified soybean oil.
      Pore rating 0
    17. PEG-40 Castor OilA PEG-modified castor oil.
      Pore rating 0
    18. LanolinDepended on the raw material’s source.
      Pore rating 0–1*
    19. Lanolin OilDepended on the raw material’s source.
      Pore rating 0–1*
    20. Babassu OilOrbignya oleifera (babassu) seed oil
      Pore rating 1
    21. Candelilla WaxEuphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax
      Pore rating 1
    22. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
      Pore rating 1
    23. Carnauba WaxCopernicia cerifera (carnauba) wax
      Pore rating 1
    24. Castor OilRicinus communis (castor) seed oil
      Pore rating 1
    25. Cetyl Esters
      Pore rating 1
    26. Chaulmoogra Oil
      Pore rating 1
    27. Hydrogenated Castor Oil
      Pore rating 1
    28. Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
      Pore rating 1
    29. Lanolin Wax
      Pore rating 1
    30. Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
      Pore rating 1
    31. Squalane
      Pore rating 1
    32. PEG-8 Castor OilA PEG-modified castor oil.
      Pore rating 1
    33. BeeswaxDepended on the raw material’s source. Fulton: some commercial batches clogged more than others.
      Pore rating 0–2*
    34. Jojoba OilSimmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oilDepended on the raw material’s source. Fulton filed it with the waxes. Some commercial batches clogged more than others.
      Pore rating 0–2*
    35. Mineral OilFulton: “some sources are acceptable others are not”.
      Pore rating 0–2
    36. Almond OilPrunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oilRefined oil: 1. Another lab (1983) found sweet almond among the more reactive oils.
      Pore rating 2(1)
    37. Apricot Kernel OilPrunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oilRefined oil: 1.
      Pore rating 2(1)
    38. Diethylhexyl SuccinateDi (2 ethylhexyl) succinate
      Pore rating 2
    39. Ethylhexyl Pelargonate
      Pore rating 2
    40. Olive OilOlea europaea (olive) fruit oilRefined oil: 1. Another lab (1983) saw no activity from olive oil.
      Pore rating 2(1)
    41. Peanut OilArachis hypogaea (peanut) oil
      Pore rating 2
    42. Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
      Pore rating 2
    43. Sandalwood Seed Oil
      Pore rating 2
    44. PPG-12-PEG-65 Lanolin OilA PEG/PPG-modified lanolin oil.
      Pore rating 2
    45. TocopherolDepended on the raw material’s source.
      Pore rating 0–3*
    46. Isodecyl OleateDepended on the raw material’s source.
      Pore rating 2–3*
    47. Avocado OilPersea gratissima (avocado) oilRefined oil: 2.
      Pore rating 3(2)
    48. Butyl Stearate
      Pore rating 3
    49. Corn OilZea mays (corn) oil
      Pore rating 3
    50. Cottonseed OilGossypium herbaceum (cotton) seed oil
      Pore rating 3
    51. Decyl Oleate
      Pore rating 3
    52. Dioctyl Malate
      Pore rating 3
    53. Dioctyl Succinate
      Pore rating 3
    54. Evening Primrose OilOenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil
      Pore rating 3
    55. Hydrogenated Vegetable OilFulton: it “appears to contain residual irritating lipids”.
      Pore rating 3
    56. Isostearyl Neopentanoate
      Pore rating 3
    57. Mink OilRefined oil: 2.
      Pore rating 3(2)
    58. Sesame OilSesamum indicum (sesame) seed oilRefined oil: 1.
      Pore rating 3(1)
    59. Shark Liver Oil
      Pore rating 3
    60. Soybean OilGlycine soja (soybean) oil
      Pore rating 3
    61. Sulfated Castor OilGraded in the 1984 table.
      Pore rating 3
    62. Sulfated Jojoba OilModified jojoba. Fulton: jojoba’s long chains only get in once modified like this.
      Pore rating 3
    63. Wheat Germ GlyceridesThe table tested glycerides from wheat germ, not the whole oil.
      Pore rating 3
    64. Cetyl Acetate
      Pore rating 4
    65. Cocoa ButterTheobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butterFulton: cocoa and coconut butter had long been linked to pomade acne, and the rabbit ear confirmed it.
      Pore rating 4
    66. Coconut ButterThe table’s only coconut entry, so the closest match for coconut oil.
      Pore rating 4
    67. Ethylhexyl PalmitateA 2025 review found it in makeup sold as non-comedogenic.
      Pore rating 4
    68. Isopropyl Linoleate
      Pore rating 4
    69. Isopropyl Palmitate
      Pore rating 4
    70. Isostearyl Isostearate
      Pore rating 4
    71. Myristyl Lactate
      Pore rating 4
    72. Stearyl Heptanoate
      Pore rating 4
    73. Isopropyl Isostearate
      Pore rating 5
    74. Isopropyl MyristateKligman: clogs when pure, but he saw no effect at the under-15% levels typical of face products (unpublished).
      Pore rating 5
    75. Myristyl Myristate
      Pore rating 5

    Not tested in the 1989 table

    No grade on purpose: any number you see for these elsewhere doesn’t come from this table.

    1. Argan Oil
      —not tested
    2. Grapeseed OilA 1983 rabbit-ear study listed it among the more reactive vegetable oils (no grade shown here).
      —not tested
    3. Hemp Seed Oil
      —not tested
    4. Macadamia Oil
      —not tested
    5. Mango Butter
      —not tested
    6. Marula Oil
      —not tested
    7. Rosehip Oil
      —not tested
    8. Sea Buckthorn Oil
      —not tested
    9. Shea ButterDon’t borrow cocoa butter’s grade: it’s a different ingredient.
      —not tested
    10. Tamanu Oil
      —not tested
    11. Tea Tree Oil
      —not tested

    * Result depended on the raw material’s source. (n) = grade of the refined oil. Grades from Fulton 1989 Table I, except petrolatum and sulfated castor oil (Fulton 1984). Read as the author did: 0–1 not significant, 2–3 borderline, 4–5 positive.

    Before you trust a number

    The test

    A rabbit ear, not your face

    Each grade is what 2 weeks of weekday applications did to rabbit ear follicles. Unless the paper says otherwise, the ingredient was mixed at 10% in propylene glycol, so a pure oil pressed onto your face is a different situation. How the tests work.

    Fulton 1989, methods

    The batch

    Same name, different batch

    An asterisk means the result depended on the raw material. For beeswax and jojoba, Fulton blamed contaminants or irritants in some commercial preparations. A number in parentheses is the refined oil’s grade.

    Fulton 1989, Table I · Fulton 1989, discussion

    Other labs

    Labs don’t always agree

    A 1983 rabbit-ear study found most vegetable oils negative or only slightly active, olive oil included, while Fulton graded olive oil 2. And Fulton wrote that a low rabbit grade seemed to hold in people, while a high one might not.

    Morris & Kwan 1983 · Fulton 1989, conclusions

    The oils people ask about

    0–2*

    Jojoba oil: 0–2, batch by batch

    Fulton filed jojoba with the waxes and graded it 0 to 2, noting that some commercial batches clogged more than others, which he put down to contaminants or irritants. His view: jojoba’s chains look too long to get into the pore unless the wax is modified, and sulfated jojoba did score 3.

    Fulton 1989, Table I · Fulton 1989, discussion

    4

    Coconut: 4, the top natural grade

    The 1989 table has no line called coconut oil: its only coconut entry is coconut butter, graded 4, tied with cocoa butter for the highest grade among plant oils and butters. Fulton noted both had long been linked to “pomade acne”. Cleveland Clinic generally advises against coconut oil on the face, while noting it works as a body moisturizer, especially for dry skin. A 2025 review calls the human evidence patchy.

    Fulton 1989, Table I · Fulton 1989, discussion · Cleveland Clinic · Starzyk 2025

    not tested

    Shea butter: not tested

    Shea isn’t in the 1989 table, so there’s no rabbit-ear grade to quote. Numbers you see for shea online don’t come from this table, and cocoa butter’s grade doesn’t transfer: it’s a different fat.

    Fulton 1989, Table I

    0

    Sunflower and safflower: 0

    The only natural plant oils in the table graded 0. Fulton called them “naturally less comedogenic” and easier to use. On a label, look for Helianthus annuus and Carthamus tinctorius.

    Fulton 1989, Table I · Fulton 1989, discussion

    2 refined 1

    Olive, almond, apricot: 2

    All three scored 2 as sold and 1 when refined. A second lab, in 1983, saw no activity from olive oil but found sweet almond among the more reactive oils: results move between labs.

    Fulton 1989, Table I · Morris & Kwan 1983

    not tested

    Argan, rosehip, marula: not tested

    Popular face oils like argan, rosehip, marula, hemp seed or tamanu, aren’t in the 1989 table. One 1983 rabbit study did test grape seed oil and found it among the more reactive vegetable oils.

    Fulton 1989, Table I · Morris & Kwan 1983

    Go deeper

    What non-comedogenic meansThe label decoded, and how products are tested.Comedogenic checkerPaste a full ingredient list: all 228 ratings.Is Aquaphor comedogenic?Petrolatum, mineral oil and lanolin, checked.Routine for oily skinOil-free, non-comedogenic, morning and night.
    MySkincare

    One face scan. Your whole routine, sorted.

    This page answered your question. MySkincare starts from your own skin, and the products you already use.

    1. 1
      Scan your face3 photos: front, left profile, right profile.
    2. 2
      See your skin scoreFree6 zones scored separately: forehead, eye area, T-zone, both cheeks, chin.
    3. 3
      Scan your productsIt reads each ingredient list and says: keep it, watch it or replace it.
    4. 4
      Follow your routineMorning and night, checked so your products work together. With reminders.
    Scan my face
    Free scan: your skin score. Zone by zone: with a plan.
    No account needed · Works in your browser · trymyskincare.app

    Questions people ask

    Which oils won’t clog pores?

    None comes with a guarantee, but in the 1989 table the plant oils graded 0 were safflower oil and sunflower oil, and babassu, castor and chaulmoogra oil scored 1. Among other oily ingredients, squalane scored 1 and petrolatum 0 (1984 table).

    What oil is good for oily, acne-prone skin?

    The AAD’s advice for oily skin leans away from oils: products labeled “oil free” and “noncomedogenic”, no oil-based cleansers, and sunscreen without oils. If you still want a face oil, this chart shows which ones scored lowest in the rabbit ear. Our routine for oily skin follows the AAD’s advice.

    Does refined oil clog pores less?

    In the 1989 table it did, for 6 oils: olive (2 to 1), almond (2 to 1), apricot kernel (2 to 1), sesame (3 to 1), avocado (3 to 2) and mink (3 to 2).

    Why are esters in an oil chart?

    They’re oily ingredients used in face products, and three of them got the table’s top grade of 5: isopropyl isostearate, isopropyl myristate and myristyl myristate. Kligman saw no effect from isopropyl myristate at the under-15% levels typical of face products, in unpublished observations.

    Can hair oils cause breakouts?

    Yes. The AAD says oils in hair products can reach your skin and cause tiny breakouts along the hairline and forehead, and points to oily pomades as a likely culprit. Fulton made the same link for cocoa and coconut butter.

    Is a grade of 0 a guarantee?

    No. It means the ingredient didn’t plug rabbit follicles at the strength tested. How much is in the bottle, what it’s mixed with and your own skin all count, and only a test of the finished product answers the question.

    One oil at a time

    A full page per ingredient — the rabbit-ear rating and why it predicts real breakouts poorly.

    Sources

    11 sources · Last reviewed November 8, 2026

    • Every grade comes from our transcription of Fulton’s 1989 and 1984 tables
    How we check

    American Academy of Dermatologyaad.org

    • How to control oily skin.

      Choose products labeled “oil free” and “noncomedogenic”; don’t use oil-based cleansers; avoid sunscreens with fragrance or oils.

    • Are your hair care products causing breakouts?

      Oils in hair products can cause breakouts along the hairline and forehead; labels to look for include “non-comedogenic” and “non-acnegenic”.

    Cleveland Clinicclevelandclinic.org

    Studies and other sources