A side-by-side read of what the evidence actually records for shea butter and cocoa butter — 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.
Flagged on 2 industry pore-clogging avoid-lists (retrieved 2026-07-11). No numeric rating from primary screening studies — treat as a caution flag from esthetician practice, not a measured value.
Acne Clinic NYC list (highly/moderately comedogenic directory)Acne Specialists list (avoid list (A–X tabs))
Full shea butter evidence page →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)Acne Clinic NYC list (highly/moderately comedogenic directory)Acne Specialists list (avoid list (A–X tabs))
Full cocoa butter evidence page →The honest answer stays at the level of the evidence — the number, the list, and their limits.
Cocoa Butter has a historical rabbit-ear screening rating of 4/5 (Fulton 1989). Shea Butter has no numeric screening rating in our reviewed records — it is flagged on 2 industry pore-clogging avoid-lists. 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.
Shea Butter. Acne-prone facial skin should be deliberate with high-shea leave-on products, especially balms; body use is rarely an issue. If a favorite moisturizer lists shea mid-label, patch-test before assuming either the avoid-lists or the community lore applies to your skin.
Cocoa Butter. Consider product type, where it is applied, and your own repeated response before acting on the match. A clinician can help distinguish cosmetic acne from other causes when symptoms continue.
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.
Shea Butter. Shea butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter) sits in an honest gray zone: it appears on both esthetician avoid-lists in this dataset, while much of the skincare community treats it as low-clogging. No numeric screening rating for this INCI name is part of our reviewed records.
Cocoa Butter. Cocoa butter was rated 4 in Fulton’s 1989 rabbit-ear table, a strong result under the raw-material screening conditions used in that study.
Direct answers, held to what the dataset can and cannot say.
Cocoa Butter has a historical rabbit-ear screening rating of 4/5 (Fulton 1989). Shea Butter has no numeric screening rating in our reviewed records — it is flagged on 2 industry pore-clogging avoid-lists. 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. Acne-prone facial skin should be deliberate with high-shea leave-on products, especially balms; body use is rarely an issue. If a favorite moisturizer lists shea mid-label, patch-test before assuming either the avoid-lists or the community lore applies to your skin. Consider product type, where it is applied, and your own repeated response before acting on the match. A clinician can help distinguish cosmetic acne from other causes when symptoms continue.
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.