If you’ve ever wondered why certain skincare products break you out—even the “natural” or “gentle” ones—the answer often lies in a concept called comedogenicity.

At Cotton Bubble Soap, we believe in educating our customers with real science so you can choose products that truly support healthy, clear skin. Let’s explore what makes an ingredient comedogenic, how testing works, and why some “pore-clogging oils” behave differently once they are turned into soap.

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What Does “Comedogenic” Mean?

Comedogenic refers to how likely a substance is to clog pores and form comedones—the bumps that turn into blackheads, whiteheads, and acne.

But here’s the important part:
An ingredient’s comedogenic rating applies to the raw oil or butter—not always the finished product.
This becomes especially important when talking about soap. 

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How Comedogenicity Is Tested (The Science)

Scientists use two main testing methods:

1. Rabbit Ear Model

Historically used to test ingredients by applying them to rabbit ears, which clog more easily than human skin. This sometimes overestimates comedogenicity.

2. Human Patch Tests

Human comedogenic testing is done on a small group of 10–20 volunteers. Over several weeks, the test ingredient is applied to a small patch of skin on their upper back and kept under occlusion to mimic worst-case pore exposure.

After the testing period, researchers take a skin-surface imprint from that area and examine it under a high-magnification dermatoscope or microscope.

They count how many individual pores in that sample developed microcomedones (early clogged pores) compared to the person’s original baseline. The comedogenic rating is then based on what percentage of pores in that test area became clogged under these controlled conditions, not how many people broke out.

 

Note: The concentration of the ingredient matters a lot — a highly comedogenic oil tested at 100% may behave differently when it’s diluted in a formulation, or saponified into soap, which is why ratings are guides rather than absolute rules.

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The Truth: Oils in Soap Are NOT the Same as Raw Oils

When oils are turned into soap through saponification, they undergo a chemical transformation.
The raw oil is broken apart into:

• Soap molecules (salts of fatty acids)

• Glycerin, a natural humectant

This new structure behaves very differently on skin.

This means:

A raw oil that is comedogenic may not clog pores when it's saponified into soap.

Why?

Because:

• Soap is designed to rinses completely off the skin

• The fatty acids change form

• The final bar contains no “free oil” (unless intentionally super-fatted)

• Soap does not sit inside pores the way oils or creams do

Let’s break down two popular examples.

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Coconut Oil: Raw vs. Saponified

Raw Coconut Oil:

• Comedogenic rating: 4–5

• Very occlusive and rich in lauric acid (which can clog pores in some skin types)

Saponified Coconut Oil in Soap:

• Coconut oil becomes sodium cocoate, a cleansing surfactant

• It no longer acts like an oil

• It rinses off easily

• Not considered comedogenic in wash-off products

In fact, coconut oil is one of the most effective oils for creating a bubbly, cleansing soap—even for acne-prone skin—once it is saponified.

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Shea Butter: Raw vs. Saponified

Raw Shea Butter:

• Comedogenic rating: 2–3

• Thick, creamy, and heavy & can contribute to congestion for some people

Saponified Shea Butter in Soap:

• Turns into sodium shea butterate

• Acts as a conditioning, skin-softening cleanser

• No longer sits on the skin as a thick oil

• Very unlikely to clog pores in a rinse-off product

Shea butter soaps are known for being gentle, moisturizing, and suitable for sensitive or acne-prone skin.

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Common Oils That Do Clog Pores in Their Raw Form

Highly Comedogenic (4–5)

• Coconut oil (raw)

• Cocoa butter

• Wheat germ oil

• Palm kernel oil

• Soybean oil

• Flaxseed oil

Moderately Comedogenic (3)

• Avocado oil

• Hazelnut oil

• Cottonseed oil

Low to Non-Comedogenic (0–2)

• Hemp seed oil

• Sunflower oil

• Argan oil

• Grapeseed oil

• Safflower oil

• Rosehip oil

• Jojoba oil

• Babassu oil (Even though babassu oil looks similar to coconut oil (both are high in lauric and myristic fatty acids), it behaves very differently on the skin & you can actually find the scientific evidence showing it's non-comedogenic property.)

But again: These ratings apply to leave-on products, not saponified oils.

For our leave-on oils, we choose low to non-comedogenic oils such as argan, jojoba, sunflower oils! 

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Other Substances That May Contribute to Clogged Pores

Even outside of oils, certain heavy or occlusive ingredients can cause congestion by trapping dirt (not by the chemical property):

• Thick occlusives: petrolatum, mineral oil

• Waxes: beeswax, paraffin

• Butters: cocoa butter, shea butter (raw form)

• Silicones: dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane (not pore-clogging but can trap debris if not cleansed well)

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Why Cotton Bubble Soap Is Pore-Friendly

Your soap formulations are designed to be:

✔ Made with oils that become gentle and cleansing when saponified
✔ Balanced to rinse clean
✔ Free from heavy, pore-clogging fillers
✔ Suitable for acne-prone and sensitive skin

This makes your bars a great alternative to commercial cleansers that leave behind residue.

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How to Choose Skincare That Won’t Clog Pores

• Look for non-comedogenic formulations

• Pay attention to how your skin reacts, not just ingredient lists

• Choose soap that rinses clean (like cold-process soaps)

• Patch test new leave-on products

• Avoid heavy, raw oils if prone to acne