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.
Cetearyl Alcohol is used mostly for formulation purposes. It’s a very good emulsifier and emulsion stabilizer. It helps the ingredients mix better and it makes the product spread on your skin evenly. It also makes the product thicker. It doesn’t belong to harmful alcohols and it will not dry your skin.
4
Lauryl Glucoside
Roles: Cleansing, Surfactant
Cleansing
5
Ceteareth-20
Roles: Cleansing, Surfactant
Softening
Comedogenic rating [ 2 ]
6
Glyceryl Stearate SE
Roles: Emulsifying, Surfactant
Moisturizing
Softening
Comedogenic rating [ 3 ]
Bad for oily skin
Glyceryl Stearate SE is a nice moisturizing ingredient. It hydrates the upper layers of the skin and fills small wrinkles. In haircare products, it's used for making hair softer.
7
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
Roles: Skin conditioning, Fragrance
UV Protection
Moisturizing
Softening
Soothing
Hair strengthening
Hair growth stimulating
Malassezia unsafe
Good for dry skin
Bad for oily skin
Sweet Almond Oil is rich in Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and different minerals. It’s a very effective soothing component known from ancient times. It helps to protect the skin from the sun, make it softer and heal small wounds.
Glycerin is one of the most outstanding and helpful skincare components. It's used in many skincare products because it works and provides notable results. It's one of the best moisturizers. Molecules of Glycerin can absorb water and deliver it into deep layers of the skin making it hydrated.
9
Orchis Maculata Flower Extract
Roles: Skin conditioning
10
Hydrolyzed Pearl
Roles: Skin conditioning
11
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.
Panthenol is a proud member of a league of the best-performing components. It's a stable form of Vitamin B5 and is also known as Pro-Vitamin B5. It’s a very good and effective component for hydration, healing, and soothing irritated skin. It works so soft and gentle that it’s even recommended for people with skin problems like eczema.
In haircare products it’s used for protecting the fiber. It’s researched very well and doesn’t have any negative side effects.
13
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Roles: Emulsion stabilizer, Film former, Viscosity controlling
AcrylatesC10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic non-toxic gel used mostly for formulation purposes. It helps manufacturers to achieve the necessary texture of the product (it makes the product thicker). It also has sight healing and antistatic activity.
Triethanolamine is a pH adjuster. It is a toxic component that can be absorbed by the skin and detected in blood later. It can be a dermal irritant. Though it's considered safe, you should think before using it in skincare. There are many products on the market without Triethanolamine.
15
Sodium Chloride
Roles: Flavoring, Viscosity controlling
Antiseptic
Sodium Chloride is a very famous ingredeint also known as Salt. Yes, it’s the same salt you can find on your table. In cosmetics, it is used as a preservative helping the product to live longer. It is also used as a peeling agent in different scrubs. Human contact with this element since ancient times and that's why it is 100% safe.
16
Tocopheryl AcetateVitaminsAntioxidant
Roles: Skin conditioning
Softening
Nutrifying
Tocopheryl Acetate is a form of Vitamine E. It’s used as an alternative to Tocopherol because it is more stable in the formulation. It has all the positive effects of Tocopherol plus better stability. It’s a brilliant component. It conditions and nourishes the skin helping it to resist aging. It also helps to protect the skin from the sun. High concentrations of Tocopheryl Acetate can lead to irritation and allergic reactions.
17
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".
18
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.
19
BHTAntioxidant
Roles: Fragrance, Masking
BHT is a stabilizer and antioxidant. It helps to keep the product fresh for a long time, preventing the oxidization of components. It is stable even in high temperatures, that’s why it’s an essential component in some products. It also protects the skin from free radicals. As for safety, the component isn't researched very well. It’s considered to be safe in low concentrations. But there is still not enough scientific data collected.
