Understanding the comedogenic scale for the best face oil for dry skin

The comedogenic scale is a “measure” of how ingredients found in common skin care products will impact your pores. This scale is particularly useful when looking at products that you will apply to heal dry skin patches on your face.

The scale is fairly simple to use and is broken down into a 6-level rating from 0 to 5.

• Rating of 0 - Does not clog pores.
• Rating of 1 – Low probability of clogging pores.
• Rating of 2 - Moderately Low probability of clogging pores.
• Rating of 3 - Moderate probability of clogging pores.
• Rating of 4 - Fairly High probability of clogging pores.
• Rating of 5 - High probability of clogging pores.

Will a low comedogenic scale rating mean my face oil for dry skin will be effective?

The short answer is no. The scale helps you understand the likelihood of the ingredients to clog your pores, or not. It does not measure the efficacy of an ingredient about dry skin.

There are many factors involved when understanding if or why an ingredient, or a combination of ingredients, will be effective, such as active ingredients, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and stated benefits of an ingredient.

Furthermore, an ingredient can have a very low rating of 0 but not bring many benefits to your dry skin patches on your face or body. Therefore, use the scale to understand the relationship of the ingredient(s) to your pores, but nothing else.

What makes an ingredient effective with a low comedogenic scale rating?

You want to look at the essential fatty acid (EFAs) composition of your ingredient, or combination of ingredients. When you have dry skin or cracked skin, it is a manifestation of a dehydrated or even broken skin barrier.

The skin barrier is comprised of the following EFAs:

• Linoleic acid (LA), also known as omega-6 fatty acid, helps build ceramides, and maintain/repair skin barrier ~+/- 40% of the skin barrier.
• Arachidonic acid (AA), also known as omega-6 fatty acid ~ +/- 9% of the skin barrier.
• Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), also known as omega-3 fatty acid ~ +/- 3% of the skin barrier.
• You can read in greater detail how EFAs impact the skin barrier function thanks to a very detailed article from Oregon State University.

You should know that most diets in the USA already have large amounts of Omega-6s, and therefore, we rarely need to supplement with Omega-6 as we have an overabundance of it in our diet.

This becomes an issue as we eat less Omega-3s rich foods, and therefore, need to supplement our diets with Omega-3s, and look for well-balanced skincare products with Omega-3s to help the skin barrier repair and maintenance.

But if you have chronic issues with dry or cracked skin, you cannot simply replenish your EFAs through a heavy Omega-3 diet. It would take either a rapid radical change in diet, a larger amount of a particular food, neither is truly possible if you have Diabetes, Eczema, or any other chronic illness that has individualized diets and restrictions.

Omega-3s serve a critical function in the skin barrier and it is an essential fatty acid since the body does not produce it on its own. Skin benefits are linked to the regulation of oil production, improvement and balance of skin hydration, reduction of outbreaks, and even the minimization of signs of aging.

How do I use the comedogenic scale when looking at plant oils?

When you purchase oil, a cream, or butter, the first action is to look at the ingredients and try to assess where they fall on the scale. This is particularly useful when you will be applying the product to your face, to heal dry skin patches.

Of course, the concentration of the ingredients will play a big role in their potential impacts on your pores. Just because an ingredient has a high rating or a low rating, you will have to see how much there is in the product you’re using. Typically, ingredients are listed from high concentration to low concentration on the ingredients list, and in that order.