A side-by-side read of what the evidence actually records for castor oil and coconut oil — historical comedogenicity ratings where they exist, industry avoid-list flags where they don't, each cited to source. This compares ingredients, not finished products: use it to frame a label, then verify the real thing in thecomedogenic checker.
Historical rabbit-ear screening result. Raw material, vehicle, concentration, formulation, and human response can differ.
Fulton 1989 (Table I, p. 325)EU CosIng (CosIng common ingredient-name glossary)
Full castor oil evidence page →Flagged on 1 industry pore-clogging avoid-list (retrieved 2026-07-11). No numeric rating from primary screening studies — treat as a caution flag from esthetician practice, not a measured value.
Acne Specialists list (avoid list (A–X tabs))
Full coconut oil evidence page →The honest answer stays at the level of the evidence — the number, the list, and their limits.
Castor Oil has a historical rabbit-ear screening rating of 1/5 (Fulton 1989). Coconut Oil has no numeric screening rating in our reviewed records — it is flagged on 1 industry pore-clogging avoid-list. A measured number and an avoid-list entry are different kinds of evidence, so they can't be ranked against each other on the same 0–5 scale.
Comedogenicity is an ingredient-level historical signal, not a product grade. The rabbit-ear model that produced these numbers is deliberately sensitive; the 2025 JAAD Reviews summary notes that concentration, purity, vehicle, the complete formulation, and individual response can all change what happens on human skin. Treat a match as a prompt to look closer, never as a finished-product verdict.
Castor Oil. A low historical score can reduce concern but cannot rule out irritation, allergy, or an individual reaction. Patch testing and gradual routine changes are more informative than the number alone.
Coconut Oil. For breakout-prone facial skin, treat straight coconut oil and coconut-heavy leave-on products with caution; body and hair-ends use is generally better tolerated. Paste the full product label into the checker rather than judging by this one name — and patch-test anything that survives.
For a routine you can trust, dermatology has the last word: the American Academy of Dermatology'sacne skin-care tips pair well with a screened shortlist — one new product at a time, a week of patch-testing, and your own skin settles what no list can.
From the brand's own product page, not a retailer summary.
A top-five flag outweighs the same name near the preservatives.
A week on the jawline is the real test, whatever the score says.
Reviewed summaries for both ingredients, drawn straight from their evidence pages.
Castor Oil. Castor oil received a 1 in Fulton’s rabbit-ear table, a low reaction in that screen rather than a promise about every castor-oil formula.
Coconut Oil. Coconut oil (Cocos Nucifera Oil) is one of the most-searched pore-clogging questions, and the honest answer is layered: it appears on both esthetician avoid-lists in this dataset, while a numeric screening rating from the primary literature is not part of our reviewed records.
Direct answers, held to what the dataset can and cannot say.
Castor Oil has a historical rabbit-ear screening rating of 1/5 (Fulton 1989). Coconut Oil has no numeric screening rating in our reviewed records — it is flagged on 1 industry pore-clogging avoid-list. A measured number and an avoid-list entry are different kinds of evidence, so they can't be ranked against each other on the same 0–5 scale.
Ingredient-level history is only a starting point. A low historical score can reduce concern but cannot rule out irritation, allergy, or an individual reaction. Patch testing and gradual routine changes are more informative than the number alone. For breakout-prone facial skin, treat straight coconut oil and coconut-heavy leave-on products with caution; body and hair-ends use is generally better tolerated. Paste the full product label into the checker rather than judging by this one name — and patch-test anything that survives.
No. Every rating here describes an isolated raw material in a historical rabbit-ear screen, usually at 10% concentration. Concentration, the complete formula, leave-on versus rinse-off, and your own skin all change the outcome — so paste the full label into the checker and patch-test the survivor rather than judging a product by one name.