Hydrogenated Coconut Oil

Hydrogenated Coconut Oil is regular coconut oil that's been run through a process that "fills in" the last few reactive spots on its fat molecules with hydrogen.

This results in a firmer, waxier, and more shelf-stable fat that melts around body temperature. This is why formulators use it as an emollient and a structuring agent for balms, sticks, and thick creams.

It doesn't do anything active and just sits on skin to soften it and slow water loss.

The CIR reviews of this ingredient reported concentration usage across a wide range (0.0001% - 70%) depending on the product type. You'll most likely see double digits (~1-5%) in emulsions and double digits in sticks + balms.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe; the Malassezia yeast feeds on chains longer than 12 carbons which is exactly what this ingredient is built from (C12, C14, C16, and C18).

It's worth being honest that the lab picture isn't one-directional: medium-chain triglycerides and medium-chain free fatty acids were actually toxic to Malassezia in vitro, suppressing M. furfur and M. sympodialis. However, there's no human skin data showing that protective effect holds in a real formula.

The risk of allergies is low; Hydrogenated Coconut Oil caused no irritation after a single patch application and no sign of sensitization on retest 14 days late. This is also a refined triglyceride with no coconut protein left, so it's not likely to trigger coconut food allergies. But if you have reacted to coconut in cosmetics before, it's best to avoid this ingredient.

Is it comedogenic?

This ingredient shows up on a lot of ""pore-clogging"" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.

Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage. Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin.