Cold pressed hemp seed oil carries a comedogenic rating of zero, the lowest on the scale, which means it is considered unlikely to clog pores. That makes it one of the lighter oils for the face, and it tends to suit most skin types, oily and acne-prone skin included.
We have written before about why the right facial oil can suit oily skin at all. This piece looks at the number itself: what a comedogenic rating measures, how far to trust it, and what a zero can and cannot tell you about your own skin.
What is a comedogenic rating?
A comedone is a clogged pore, the small bump that can become a blackhead or a whitehead. A comedogenic rating is a guide to how likely an ingredient is to contribute to clogged pores.
The scale most often quoted runs from zero to five:
- 0: considered unlikely to clog pores
- 1 to 2: a low likelihood
- 3: a moderate likelihood
- 4 to 5: a high likelihood
Oils attract the most attention on this scale, because anyone with oily or acne-prone skin is rightly careful about what goes on the face. Coconut oil, for instance, is often rated higher, which surprises many who grew up with it as a household remedy.
How reliable is a comedogenic rating?
It is a useful guide, and only a guide. Most ratings trace back to older laboratory testing of single ingredients, often at high concentrations. They were never designed to predict exactly how one person's face will respond to a finished product.
Three things shape the real result:
- The formula as a whole. How much of an ingredient is present, and what surrounds it, both change how it behaves on skin.
- Your own skin. Two people can use the same oil and see different results.
- How it is used. A few drops pressed into clean skin behave differently from a thick layer left on overnight.
A rating of zero is a good sign, and a sensible reason to choose one oil over another. It is still no guarantee. If you are prone to breakouts, introduce anything new slowly, and patch test first.
Why does hemp seed oil rate zero?
Hemp seed oil is pressed from the seed of Cannabis sativa. The seed carries no THC, and the oil is sold openly in India as both a food and a cosmetic ingredient.
Its low rating is usually linked to its fatty acid profile. Hemp seed oil is rich in Linoleic Acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, and it carries omega-3 as well. Oils high in Linoleic Acid tend to feel thin and sink in to a soft finish, while oils high in oleic acid tend to feel heavier and sit on the surface for longer. Linoleic Acid is also one of the fatty acids the skin uses in the lipids of its own barrier.
Cold pressing matters too. It draws the oil from the seed without high heat, which helps keep its fatty acids much as the seed held them.
What does a zero rating mean for your skin type?
- Oily and combination skin. Its light texture and rating of zero make it one of the easier oils for skin that shines by afternoon. Oily skin still needs barrier support, and a light oil can offer it without adding weight.
- Acne-prone skin. A low rating is reassuring here, and a patch test and a slow start are wiser still. If breakouts are persistent or painful, a dermatologist is the right first step.
- Dehydrated skin. Oil adds no water of its own. What it can do is slow the loss of water from the skin, and paired with a water-binding ingredient, it helps hold hydration in. There is more on this in oily and dehydrated at the same time.
- Normal and dry skin. On drier faces hemp seed oil feels comfortable, though very dry skin may want a richer moisturiser over it in the evening.
A little care is wise for anyone with a known sensitivity to hemp or cannabis-derived ingredients, and for anyone whose skin reacts to most new products. A patch test on the inner arm for 24 hours is the simple precaution.
How is hemp seed oil used in the Snow Mushroom serum?
Hemp seed oil is the base of the Snow Mushroom Hydrating Serum, the medium the rest of the formula travels in. Within it sits Snow Mushroom, Tremella fuciformis, which binds water, with niacinamide and panthenol alongside. It was made for Indian skin biology in Indian heat, and it suits oily, combination, normal and dry skin.
The serum is dermatologically tested and non-comedogenic, and the cold pressed hemp seed oil base carries a comedogenic rating of zero. It also carries a natural fragrance built to IFRA standards, so if your skin reacts easily, patch test on the inner arm for 24 hours and start once a day. After that, three to four drops pressed into damp skin, morning and evening, is the whole ritual.
A number on a scale cannot tell you everything about your skin. It can tell you where to begin, and for an oil on the face, zero is a quiet place to start.