The skin care product market is one of the fastest growing in the world. Almost every day, women (and men) around the world have the chance to discover new products, advanced formulas, and ingredients they haven’t heard of before. Manufacturers are "bombing" us with professional terms, phrases we never heard of and aggressive ads that make us try out some product anyway.
Recently, dermatologists have popularized the term comedogenicity, which can confuse laymen. Even after I’ve researched its meaning, I still can't be sure how some random ingredient will affect the skin. So we have to trust manufacturers, at least until we try the product.
So, our main goal today is to clear up the confusion surrounding this term and to figure out exactly what is the comedogenic rating of rosehip oil and will it clog your pores.
Before we get to that, however, I'd like to take a moment of your time to cover some of the benefits of using this oil on your skin.
Benefits of Rosehip Oil for Skin
In nature, we can find everything we need. The oil of the rosehip, obtained from the fruit or seeds of the wild bush that we can see in every forest, is one of the products that is often used in the preparation of cosmetic preparations, but also as an independent product.
The rosehip oil has a light structure, and the skin quickly absorbs it, leaving no fatty trails on the surface. That's why many skin care and facial cleaning products, makeup and anti-age preparations contain this ingredient.
Nutrients Found in Rosehip Oil
This oil is an excellent moisturizer because it abounds in essential fatty acids. Their efficacy in skin health is known and proven by numerous studies.[1] Healthy fats (usually linoleic acid, which is omega-6 and omega-3 acids) are beneficial for skin regeneration, scars healing and treatment of burns. Since our organism can't produce these nutrients, the products containing rosehip oil will help rebuild the skin's surface and its renewal.
Rosehip contains antioxidants, vitamins A and C[2] which can help in treating hyperpigmentation, as well as rejuvenate your skin. These micronutrients are in charge of collagen production. Some manufacturers even guarantee the results of using products based on rosehip oil in female's worst enemies - cellulite and stretch marks.
The use of rosehip oil can't harm, but it is possible that this ingredient will not suit each skin type. Here we return to the term of comedogenicity, and how this rating can affect the choice of the proper skincare product.
Comedogenicity and What We Should Know About It
We use skincare products to remove the impurities on the surface, inside the pores and in all fine cracks on our skin, as well as to keep it fresh and nourished.
Cleansing products contain ingredients that eliminate dirt and toxic particles from pores and leave them clean and unclogged. But this isn't always the case, and that is what comedogenicity explains.
Why It’s Important to Know about Comedogenicity
So, when a product or some ingredient is marked as comedogenic, it means that it closes your pores and irritates them even more. It is logical that no manufacturer will put this note on its skincare product as it can be seen as an anti-commercial.
It is better for them to emphasize that some product is non-comedogenic, that is, that its ingredients don't block the pores. But this just can't be a general rule. Not everyone will have the same reaction to the same product. There are several skin types[3], and who knows how many hundreds of sub-types. Also, many factors, such as hydration, age, past skin care, etc. must be considered.
A random skincare product that makes wonders for one person may cause even more damage for another one. But it doesn't mean that the ingredients that are labeled as comedogenic are harmful. In fact, many of them have a beneficial effect on skin nutrition, the maintenance of its hydration, etc.
Some of these are required in making products like lotions and creams, for its better smearing, maintaining the structure and connecting components. These are usually oily or fatty ingredients which are used in the cosmetic industry. Based on what effect they have on the pores, dermatologists have developed a list[4] that shows the comedogenic rating of most common components.
Comedogenic Rating
Comedogenic list (or chart) shows how some ingredient affects the pore clogging. The ranks are going from 0 to 5, with 0 for proven non-comedogens. Generally, if you have a problematic skin that is prone to acne and other inflammatory processes, you should avoid ingredients and products with a ranking of more than 3 (sometimes 2).
But you won't know how some product or ingredient will affect your skin until you try it.
The chart with the listed comedogens and their ratings shouldn't be the main guideline in choosing skin care products, but only the starting point. As time passes, and you become more familiar with the properties of your skin, you will be able to precisely determine which ingredient won't cause the appearance of acne.
Is Rosehip Oil Comedogenic – Will It Clog Your Pores?
Depending on who created the comedogenic rating chart, we can generally say that rosehip oil doesn't belong to the list of ingredients that will clog your pores, and cause more bad than good. The rating of this ingredient generally varies between 1 and 2, but we repeat, it should be taken with caution, because it depends on various factors we mentioned in this article.
If we should give a general conclusion, the fact is that this oil (for most people) doesn't belong to the comedogenic. Earlier experiences have shown that rosehip oil doesn't usually cause the appearance of problematic comedonal acne[5]. Due to its light structure, the skin mainly absorbs it into deeper layers, so it doesn't hold on the surface, preventing skin from breathing and secreting sebum.
Rosehip Oil Recommendations for Different Skin Types
Our skin is constantly exposed to external impacts which can change its condition. Its structure depends on how we feed, amount of fluids and nutrients, whether we use sun protection, how much sleep, etc. All listed factors can affect the appearance of acne by disturbing the natural composition of our skin.
Essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid[6], are deposited in the surface of the skin, creating a protective layer. Its disadvantage causes the epidermis to be more exposed to external influences, dirt, and toxins that can cause mini-inflammatory processes - acne.
Rosehip oil abounds in this acid, and regular use of this ingredient, we can restore the natural balance of our skin. Given the comedogenic ranking 1 or 2, products based on this oil can be recommended for people with oily skin, or for those who have problems with the frequent occurrence of acne.
For those with dry or combined skin, this oil can be useful if they use it with products that additionally hydrate the skin. As for a person with sensitive and normal skin, there is no rule for rosehip oil products. They have to test a single product, approximately for a month, to see the results.
Try Rosehip Oil or Not
Products based on rosehip oil contain many useful ingredients and are highly appreciated among dermatologists and skincare experts. In some cosmetic products, it can be the foundation, while in others it can only be part of the base. That's one more thing to pay attention to. In smaller quantities, rosehip oil probably won't clog your pores.
Unfortunately, most consumers primarily pay attention to the price and the brand name, rather than the composition of the product itself and the properties of its ingredients. High-quality rosehip oil products can cost quite a lot, considering how difficult it is to get this ingredient. But its low comedogenic rating is a great recommendation to try it nonetheless.
[1] Giana Angelo, Ph.D. Linus Pauling Institute Oregon State University(2012.), Essential Fatty Acids and Skin Health,
Source: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/essential-fatty-acids#overview
[2] Juliet M. Pullar, Anitra C. Carr, and Margreet C. M. Vissers, National Library Of Medicine(2017.), The Roles Of Vitamin C In Your Skin Health,
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579659/
[3] SusanWaits, PureWow(2015.), 11 Things That Are Clogging Your Pores,
Source: https://www.purewow.com/beauty/11-Things-That-Are-Clogging-Your-Pores
[4] A collection of authors, WebMD (Retrieved in 2018.), What's Your Skin Type?, Sorce: https://www.webmd.com/beauty/whats-your-skin-type#1
[5] Angela Palmer, VeryWellHealth(2018.), What Is Comedonal Acne And How Can It Be Treated,
Source: https://www.verywellhealth.com/comedonal-acne-15972
[6] Paul May, University of Bristol UK (Retrieved in 2018.), Linoleic Acid,
Source: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/linoleic/linv.htm