When I was a young girl in the early 2000s, there was always a bottle of that iconic blue Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser in my parents’ house. It was probably the only thing I washed my face with for the first 10 years of my life. But what stuck with me the longest (and perhaps was an early sign that I was destined to be a beauty editor) was that, right under the product name, the label said “non-comedogenic.” This new word perplexed me.
I vividly remember trying to figure out how to pronounce it as I washed my face every evening, finally asking my mom during my very short nighttime skincare routine. She told me how to say it and what it meant in a way that a 7 year old would understand, and that was that. Fast forward two decades later, and I’m sitting here, perplexed once again, as I learn about a new-to-me, related-to-non-comedogenic term: non-acnegenic.
I’ve been seeing the word pop up here and there when it comes to an acne-friendly skincare routine, but I had to know, what actually makes it different from non-comedogenic? Is it a marketing buzzword, or is whether or not a product is non-acnegenic really important to pay attention to? I had far more questions than 7-year-old me, so I turned to two dermatologists to explain everything.
Let’s start with some good news: The definition of non-acnegenic is honestly pretty straightforward. If you have acne-prone skin and/or are currently trying to figure out how to get rid of acne, Dr. Foad calls it “one of the most useful labels you can look for.” This is because brands “typically test these products on people with acne-prone skin over several weeks with a dermatologist evaluating the skin for any new breakouts,” she explains.
However, using a non-acnegenic skincare product isn’t a 100 percent guarantee that it won’t cause a breakout, unfortunately. This label means the product is unlikely to cause or worsen acne, but there’s no way for a brand to promise that result for everyone. Non-acnegenic and non-comedogenic are different—but there’s plenty of overlap, Dr.
Non-comedogenic, as you may already know, means that a product “is designed not to clog pores,” says Dr. Foad, who notes that a comedone is the technical term for a clogged pore. Just because a product is non-comedogenic doesn’t mean you won’t get a breakout after using it.
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