Do lotions clog pores? Here's what the science says.
A human model for assessing comedogenic substances.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The rabbit ear model is more sensitive than human skin in detecting comedogenicity.
Most people assume animal tests are conservative predictors — but here, rabbits are over-predicting risk, making them a false alarm system for everyday skincare.
Practical Takeaways
If you don’t get acne, you can likely use oils like petrolatum, olive oil, or coconut oil without worry — even if they’re labeled 'comedogenic'.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The rabbit ear model is more sensitive than human skin in detecting comedogenicity.
Most people assume animal tests are conservative predictors — but here, rabbits are over-predicting risk, making them a false alarm system for everyday skincare.
Practical Takeaways
If you don’t get acne, you can likely use oils like petrolatum, olive oil, or coconut oil without worry — even if they’re labeled 'comedogenic'.
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Claims (4)
If a product doesn’t clog rabbit ears much, it’s probably fine for most people’s skin — but if you’re the type who gets lots of blackheads, it might still cause problems.
Some ingredients that clog rabbit ears also seem to clog pores in young Black men’s skin when left covered for a month, so rabbit tests might help guess which products could cause breakouts in people.
Rabbits’ ears get clogged more easily than human skin when tested with the same products, so the rabbit test might be too strict and flag things that don’t actually clog human pores.
The concept of comedogenicity as applied to modern topical skincare products is largely invalid; the vast majority of commercially available oils and emollients, including petrolatum and olive oil, do not induce follicular occlusion or acne formation in human skin.