Ingredient decoder

Cocoa butter: is it comedogenic? What it does in skincare

INCI name: Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter

Acne verdict High clog risk

Rated a pore-clogger

  • Comedogenic4 / 5
  • Irritancy0 / 5

What it does

Rich butter that softens skin but can clog pores.

  • Emollient
  • Masking
  • Skin conditioning
  • Skin protecting

Cocoa butter in plain English

Cocoa butter is a firm, rich butter from cacao seeds that softens skin and adds body to balms and lotions. It produced comedones in old rabbit-ear testing, so it rates high on classic lists. Keep in mind these ratings come from old rabbit-ear tests of the raw ingredient, which can overstate the risk of a small amount in a finished product.

Is cocoa butter bad for acne?

It can be. Cocoa butter has a high clog risk rating for acne-prone skin. In Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear test it scored 4 out of 5 for clogging pores and 0 out of 5 for irritation. That test used the raw ingredient, so a small amount in a finished product may behave differently. If you break out easily, check where it sits on the ingredient list: the higher it appears, the more of it the product usually contains.

Why it is flagged: A rich butter that produced comedones in rabbit-ear testing.

Clean routine and still breaking out? The cause may be internal. See what is driving it

Also called

  • Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter
  • Theobroma cacao seed butter
  • Theobroma cacao butter
  • Cocoa seed butter
  • Cacao butter
  • Butyrospermum cacao

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Frequently asked questions

Is cocoa butter comedogenic?

Cocoa butter scored 4 out of 5 for comedogenicity in Fulton's 1989 rabbit-ear study, where 0 means no clogging and 5 means severe. That is a high rating. The test used the raw ingredient, so a finished product may behave differently.

What does cocoa butter do in skincare?

In short: rich butter that softens skin but can clog pores. In formulas it is used for emollient, masking, skin conditioning and skin protecting.

What else is cocoa butter called on ingredient labels?

On ingredient lists, cocoa butter can also appear as Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Theobroma cacao seed butter, Theobroma cacao butter, Cocoa seed butter or Cacao butter.

Sources