Propanediol is a good solvent, emollient and humectant. It helps to moisturize the skin and prevent moisture loss. In haircare products, it conditions hair and improves absorption of the product.
Propylene Glycol is a useful componet with many positive effects. It’s a very good moisturizer. It helps to deliver ingredients into deeper layers of the skin. It creates a protective layer on the skin preventing water loss. The component is researched very well and doesn’t have notable side effects. It’s used even for making food.
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Dimethicone
Roles: Skin conditioning, Antifoaming, Emollient
Silicones
Dimethicone is the most popular silicone. It makes the skin softer and forms a film adding smooth and silky feeling. This film not only improves how the skin feels but also works as a protective barrier. It also improves the visual appearance of your skin by filling small wrinkles. That's why some people think dimethicone removes wrinkles. Actually, it does not. It's just a visual effect.
One of the most important characteristics of this component is that it helps to spread other ingredients evenly on the surface to provide good coverage. It's very important because you want all your skin cells to receive an equal proportion of the components.
Dimethicone is considered as safe, but remember that it is rather difficult to wash off! This may lead to clogged pores and acne if you use it too often and don't wash off quite well.
Vitamin C is known for its strong antioxidant activity. It helps to slow down aging processes. The other positive effect of this ingredient is that it helps to make skin tone even. It's a great ingredient to counter dark areas and uneven skin tone. It's well-researched and considered safe. But it's acid and can irritate the skin if used too often.
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PEG-10 Dimethicone
Roles: Skin conditioning, Hair conditioning
Moisturizing
PEG
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PEG-12 Dimethicone/ppg-20 Crosspolymer
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Glycolic AcidAHA
Roles: Buffering, Exfoliant
Cleansing
Exfoliating
Anti-aging
Lightening
Good for oily skin
Glycolic Acid is the most researched AHA with proven efficiency and it’s a super powerful component. It’s a great exfoliator, meaning it helps to remove dead skin cells preventing bacterial growth, and make your skin look fresh and smooth. It helps to remove dark spots and areas, making skin tone even. But the most serious reason for using this component is that it helps to produce collagen, which is very important for keeping your skin healthy. This is what makes Glycolic Acid so special. Pay attention, that using any AHA makes your skin more UV sensitive. It’s very important to use good sunscreen after applying AHA.
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Water
Roles: Solvent
Water is a great solvent. It’s neutral and doesn’t provide any strong positive or negative effects. It just helps components to mix better and to transport active components.
Butylene Glycol is a very popular synthetic alcohol. It helps the product to absorb deeper and faster. It is also a solvent for other ingredients. As for the skin benefits, it helps to attract water and helps to make the skin softer.
Bisabolol is one of the most effective healing ingredients in cosmetics. It is a great component for reducing inflammation. It contains a lot of Vitamin B5 known as Panthenol, but it acts much better than Panthenol due to its wider effectiveness. It softens the skin and helps to recover skin cells after dryness. It is also a nice protector – it helps to protect the skin from aggressive chemical and physical impact. Bisabolol, Panthenol, and Allantoin are the true saviors and very often you can find all these 3 components mixed in a product for better efficiency.
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Ferulic AcidAntioxidant
Roles: Antimicrobial, Preservative
Moisturizing
Soothing
Anti-aging
Lightening
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Schinus Terebinthifolius Leaf Extract
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Fragrance
Roles: Deodorant, Fragrance, Masking
Fragrances
Fragrance is a mix of chemical ingredients (usually 20-30 chemicals but up to 200 sometimes) that help the product to smell better. It can hide many bad things. Synthetic fragrances may contain many different chemicals, but manufacturers don’t want to reveal each of them for some reason and hide them behind the word "Fragrance".
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Silica
Silica is used for improving texture of the product. It helps the product to spread out evenly. Very often it’s used in different exfoliants as an abrasive. It's safe and non-toxic.
Dipropylene Glycol is a solvent, emulsifier, viscosity decreasing, and masking agent. It helps to extract useful chemicals from plants and leaves, making natural components in a product more effective. It also helps to hydrate the skin. Considered safe for health and doesn't irritate the skin in common concentration.
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Phenoxyethanol
Roles: Fragrance, Preservative
Antiseptic
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most popular preservatives. It kills bacteria and makes the product live longer. Manufacturers like this ingredient because it can dissolve in any liquid, even in oils.
Another purpose of this component is the fixation of aromas in perfumery. Phenoxyethanol is also used as a strong antiseptic and a good antibacterial agent. It is widely used in dermatological cosmetics alongside natural antiseptics such as chamomile, sage, and calendula.
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TocopherolAntioxidant
Roles: Skin conditioning, Fragrance
UV Protection
Anti-aging
Regeneration
Comedogenic rating [ 3 ]
Good for dry skin
Tocopherol is one of the most popular active ingredients in cosmetics. It’s a brilliant component. It's a form of Vitamin E and it does help the skin and hair a lot. It conditions the skin, strengthens its barrier, protects it against harm, and makes the tone even. It also helps your skin and hair to resist the sun. It’s safe but can irritate sensitive skin sometimes. Pay attention to concentration!
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Ethylhexylglycerin
Roles: Skin conditioning, Deodorant
Moisturizing
Softening
Antiseptic
Deodorant
Ethylhexylglycerin makes the skin softer, smoother and more hydrated. It acts deeply but without any heavy or sticky feeling. In haircare products, it works as a conditioner and scalp cleanser. It is safe but only in concentration below 8% in rinse-off products and below 2% in leave-on products. Can be an irritator in higher concentrations. In general, this component is great if you see it somewhere at the bottom of the list.
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Plankton Extract
Roles: Skin conditioning
Soothing
Nutrifying
Regeneration
Protection
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Potassium Sorbate
Roles: Fragrance, Preservative
Antifungal
Antiseptic
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative that increases the shelf life of the product. It’s a great alternative to parabens. That's why manufacturers like to use this component. It is safe in concentration of up to 10% but it is used in cosmetics in amounts of 1% or even lower.
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Sodium Benzoate
Roles: Fragrance, Masking, Preservative
Antifungal
Antiseptic
Sodium Benzoate doesn’t have any great skincare effects and is used for formulation purposes. It’s a corrosion inhibitor, fragrance ingredient, and preservative. It is not a broad-spectrum preservative and it’s used with other preservatives for good efficiency. It’s safe, but people with eczema or a history of skin allergies should use this component with attention.
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Vanillin
Roles: Flavoring, Fragrance, Masking
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Malonic Acid
Roles: Buffering, Fragrance
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Lilial
Roles: Fragrance, Masking
Allergens
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Citronellol
Roles: Fragrance, Masking
Allergens
Citronellol makes the product smell better. It’s one of the most frequently used fragrance ingredients in the world. It smells like a fresh cut of apple peel mixed with a citrus scent. It’s also used to enhance flower scent. It has slight anti-bacterial activity.
Beware! This component is in the list of potential allergens and can cause allergic contact dermatitis.
AHA
