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.
Roles: Skin conditioning, Emollient, Film former, Solvent
8
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Protection
9
Hexyl Laurate
Roles: Emollient, Solvent, Viscosity controlling
Softening
Protection
Malassezia unsafe
10
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
11
Caprylyl Methicone
Roles: Skin conditioning
Softening
12
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
13
1,2-Hexanediol
Roles: Solvent
Moisturizing
Good for dry skin
1,2-Hexanediol can do a lot of good things for the formulation of the product. It’s an emollient, preservative, and humectant. It keeps skin hydrated and soft. It’s a good component for dry and dehydrated skin.
14
Chlorella Vulgaris (Dermochlorella Algae) Extract
Roles: Skin conditioning
15
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
16
Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/nut/stem Oil
17
Ocimum Basilicum (Sweet Basil)
18
Pinus Sylvestris (Scot's Pine) Leaf Oil
Roles: Fragrance, Masking
19
Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil
20
Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate
21
Polysilicone-15
22
Pentylene Glycol
Roles: Skin conditioning, Solvent
Moisturizing
Hair conditioning
Pentylene Glycol is a great replacement for Propylene Glycol. It has very similar characteristics but it’s derived from plants (usually from corn). Natural cosmetics lovers will find this component very useful. It enhances the moisturizing effect of cosmetic products, improves the efficiency of preservatives and it’s an effective emulsifier. It’s approved by ECOCERT and COSMOS so it’s considered to be 100% safe and can be used in vegan products.
23
Glucose
Roles: Skin conditioning, Flavoring, Humectant
Moisturizing
Elasticity improvement
Nutrifying
24
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Roles: Emulsion stabilizer, Viscosity controlling
25
HydroxyacetophenoneAntioxidant
26
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
27
Fructooligosaccharides
28
Fructose
Roles: Flavoring, Humectant
Moisturizing
29
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Roles: Skin conditioning
30
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Roles: Binding, Film former, Viscosity controlling
31
Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate
32
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.
33
Disodium EDTA
Roles: Chelating, Viscosity controlling
Disodium EDTA is an emulsion stabilizer and chelating agent. It deactivates the metal ions preventing them from reacting with other active ingredients. It improves the stability of a cosmetic formula and keeps the product’s consistency, texture, and pH unchanged. It doesn’t have any skincare effects and is used for formulation purposes only.
34
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.
