A side-by-side read of what the evidence actually records for shea butter 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.
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 →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.
Neither Shea Butter nor Coconut Oil has a numeric screening rating in our reviewed records. Both appear on esthetician pore-clogging avoid-lists (retrieved 2026-07-11), so the 0–5 comedogenic scale can't separate them. The honest differentiators are texture, where each ingredient sits in a label's order, and your own patch-test.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Neither Shea Butter nor Coconut Oil has a numeric screening rating in our reviewed records. Both appear on esthetician pore-clogging avoid-lists (retrieved 2026-07-11), so the 0–5 comedogenic scale can't separate them. The honest differentiators are texture, where each ingredient sits in a label's order, and your own patch-test.
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. 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.