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.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is mostly used as formulation component. It gives the product a soft and silky but non-greasy feeling. As for the skin benefits, it's an emollient – it makes the skin softer and more hydrated. It also helps to kill bacteria and increase the product’s shelf life.
6
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.
7
Tribehenin
Roles: Skin conditioning, Emollient
Softening
Malassezia unsafe
8
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
9
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Roles: Skin conditioning, Hair conditioning
Moisturizing
PEG
10
Polysorbate-40
Roles: Emulsifying, Surfactant
Softening
Malassezia unsafe
11
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Roles: Anticaking
12
Ceramide 2
Roles: Skin conditioning, Hair conditioning
13
PEG-10 Phytosterol
Roles: Emulsifying, Surfactant
PEG
14
Tourmaline
Roles: Viscosity controlling
15
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil
Roles: Skin conditioning, Fragrance
Acne fighting
Healing
Antiseptic
Good for oily skin
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil is known for ages. It has a pleasant scent but it's not the only great property of this component. It has great antiseptic and antibacterial activity which is great for oily skin. It also helps to heal small wounds and calm down the skin.
16
Isohexadecane
Roles: Skin conditioning, Emollient, Solvent
Softening
Protection
17
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Roles: Emulsion stabilizer, Viscosity controlling
18
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil
Roles: Fragrance, Masking
19
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
20
Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Flower Oil
Roles: Fragrance, Masking
21
Dimethylmethoxy ChromanolAntioxidant
Lightening
22
Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil
23
Limonene
Roles: Fragrance
Antiseptic
Allergens
Limonene provides a nice and fresh citrus scent. It can be found in many plants. It's used in cosmetics because of its low price and pleasant smell.
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Linalool
Roles: Deodorant, Fragrance, Masking
Allergens
Linalool gives the product a nice and fresh lavender scent. It can be found in many essential oils. It oxidizes during air exposure and becomes allergenic. It can lead to irritation causing problems for people with sensitive skin. The threat is even higher if the product was opened several months ago. In such products, more Linalool is oxidized.
25
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.
26
Geraniol
Roles: Fragrance, Masking
Allergens
Geraniol is a fragrance ingredient that gives product a nice rose scent. That’s why it’s used by many manufacturers. In addition to its pleasant scent, it also provides an antifungal effect increasing the shelf life of a product. There are several ways of obtaining this ingredient but all of them are chemical.
