What a 1/5 rating means
On the comedogenic scale, a 1 sits at the safe end of the scale — clogging is unlikely for most people. That places D&C Red #4 in the range most people, including many with acne-prone skin, tolerate well.
One thing the number cannot tell you is concentration. Ingredients are listed in descending order, so D&C Red #4 near the end of a label is present in tiny amounts and matters far less than the same ingredient near the top.
About D&C Red #4
It is a cosmetic colorant that gives makeup its shade. A monoazo dye used mainly in lip and cheek products. Rated 1, which places it among the lower-risk members of the D&C red family.
On a label it can read as D&C Red 4, D&C Red #4, D C Red 4, Ci 14700 — worth knowing when you scan an ingredient deck.
D&C Red #4 in makeup and skincare
It is the shade in lipsticks, blushes, and other colour cosmetics. Its irritancy is rated separately at 0/5, which is low.
D&C Red #4 comedogenic FAQ
Is D&C Red #4 comedogenic?
Not usually. D&C Red #4 is rated 1/5, which is low risk on the 0–5 comedogenic scale, so it is unlikely to clog pores for most people, including many with acne-prone skin.
What is the comedogenic rating of D&C Red #4?
D&C Red #4 has a comedogenic rating of 1/5 (low risk). Of the 190 ingredients in our dataset with a published rating, 132 rate higher than D&C Red #4, 28 rate lower, and 29 others share its 1/5. Among the 10 rated colorants, 6 rate higher and none lower. The figure is drawn from 1 cited source, listed on this page.
Is D&C Red #4 pore-clogging?
It is unlikely to be. At 1/5, D&C Red #4 sits in the range generally treated as non-comedogenic. Concentration still matters: an ingredient near the top of a label makes up far more of the product than one near the end. Comedogenic ratings come mostly from rabbit-ear assays and small human patch tests of the pure ingredient at high concentration, so they are a screening guide, not a prediction for your skin or a medical claim.