Ingredients

What each ingredient does, its other names, and who should be careful with it.

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171 ingredients

Humectants

• Aloe leaf juice
  Mild humectant with soothing polysaccharides.in 77 products
• Beta-glucan
  Oat or yeast polysaccharide, humectant and soother.in 22 products
• Betaine
  Sugar-beet osmolyte, reduces sting from other ingredients.in 65 products
• Butylene glycol
  Solvent and humectant, improves spread of actives.in 131 products
• Ectoin
  Extremolyte that stabilises proteins and calms.in 1 products
• Glycerin
  The reference humectant. Cheap, proven, works at 3 to 10 percent.in 425 products
• Hyaluronic acid, high weight
  Sits on the surface and holds water in a film.in 53 products
• Panthenol
  Provitamin B5, humectant and wound-healing support.in 101 products
• Pentylene glycol
  Humectant with preservative boosting.in 19 products
• Polyglutamic acid
  Fermented soybean peptide, surface humectant.in 2 products
• Propanediol
  Corn-derived glycol, solvent and humectant.in 88 products
• Propylene glycol
  Glycol solvent and humectant, the older sibling of propanediol.in 39 products
• Sodium PCA
  A natural moisturising factor component.in 35 products
• Sodium hyaluronate, low weight
  Smaller fragments reach the upper epidermis.in 118 products
• Trehalose
  Sugar that protects cells from water loss.in 19 products
• Urea
  Humectant at 2 to 10 percent, keratolytic above.in 14 products

Emollients

• Behenyl alcohol
  C22 fatty alcohol thickener.in 7 products
• C12-15 alkyl benzoate
  Medium ester, strong filter solvent.in 7 products
• Caprylic/capric triglyceride
  Fractionated coconut triglyceride.in 80 products
• Caprylyl methicone
  Volatile silicone with good filter compatibility.in 3 products
• Cetearyl alcohol
  Fatty alcohol thickener and co-emulsifier.in 94 products
• Cetyl alcohol
  Fatty alcohol thickener.in 56 products
• Coco-caprylate/caprate
  Coconut-derived ester, mid weight.in 16 products
• Coconut oil
  Lauric-rich plant oil.in 46 products
• Dibutyl adipate
  Light C4 ester, excellent filter solvent.
• Diisopropyl adipate
  Light ester, dry feel.
• Diisopropyl sebacate
  Light ester, dry feel, filter solvent.in 2 products
• Dimethicone
  Non-volatile silicone, slip and light occlusion.in 93 products
• Hexyldecanol
  Branched fatty alcohol, light.
• Isododecane
  Volatile hydrocarbon, evaporates after spreading.in 5 products
• Isopropyl myristate
  Penetration enhancer, classic comedogen.in 37 products
• Jojoba oil
  Liquid wax ester close to sebum.in 51 products
• Rosehip oil
  Linoleic-rich seed oil with trace retinoids.in 2 products
• Shea butter
  Rich plant butter.in 82 products
• Squalane
  Hydrogenated squalene, skin-identical lipid.in 48 products
• Sunflower seed oil
  Linoleic-rich oil, barrier support.in 22 products

Occlusives

• Beeswax
  Wax occlusive and thickener.in 22 products
• Lanolin
  Wool wax, strong occlusive.in 1 products
• Mineral oil
  Refined hydrocarbon occlusive.in 10 products
• Petrolatum
  The most effective occlusive known, 98 percent TEWL reduction.in 3 products

Surfactants

• Cocamidopropyl betaine
  Amphoteric foam booster, mild.in 84 products
• Coco-glucoside
  Sugar-based non-ionic, mild.in 35 products
• Decyl glucoside
  Sugar-based non-ionic, very mild.in 41 products
• Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
  Mild anionic for rinse-off.
• Polysorbate 20
  Solubiliser for oils and fragrance in water.in 46 products
• Sodium cocoyl isethionate
  Mild anionic, creamy foam.in 10 products
• Sodium laureth sulfate
  Ethoxylated SLS, milder.in 4 products
• Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate
  Mild anionic with good foam.in 27 products
• Sodium lauryl sulfate
  Harsh anionic surfactant.in 11 products

Emulsifiers

• Aristoflex AVC
  Polymeric gel former, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate copolymer.in 4 products
• Glyceryl laurate
  Lauric emulsifier with antimicrobial action.in 22 products
• Glyceryl stearate
  Workhorse non-ionic emulsifier.in 110 products
• Lecithin
  Phospholipid emulsifier and penetration aid.in 46 products
• Montanov 202
  Arachidyl and behenyl alcohol with arachidyl glucoside.in 6 products
• Olivem 1000
  Cetearyl olivate and sorbitan olivate, liquid-crystal emulsifier.in 35 products
• PEG-100 stearate
  Partner to glyceryl stearate.in 45 products
• PEG-12 dimethicone/PPG-20 crosspolymer
  Silicone emulsifier for water-in-silicone gels.in 1 products
• Polyglyceryl-3 methylglucose distearate
  Natural-origin emulsifier in most Korean sunscreens.in 11 products
• Potassium cetyl phosphate
  Anionic emulsifier common in French sunscreens.in 5 products
• Sepinov EMT 10
  Polymeric emulsifier, hydroxyethyl acrylate copolymer.in 18 products
• Sodium stearoyl glutamate
  Amino acid emulsifier, light feel.in 16 products

Thickeners and film formers

• Acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer
  Gel former that holds oils in suspension.in 67 products
• Carbomer
  Acrylic gel former, needs neutralising.in 83 products
• Corn starch
  Natural matte powder and SPF booster.in 5 products
• Hydroxyethylcellulose
  Cellulose thickener, non-tacky.in 11 products
• Microcrystalline cellulose
  Scattering particle, SPF booster.in 2 products
• Silica
  Oil-absorbing matte powder.in 17 products
• Sodium polyacrylate
  Quick-thickening polymer.in 11 products
• VP/Acrylates film former
  Water-resistance polymer in sunscreens.
• Xanthan gum
  Natural gum thickener.in 138 products

Preservatives

• 1,2-Hexanediol
  Glycol with antimicrobial effect, humectant.in 98 products
• Benzoic acid
  Acid preservative in some French sunscreens.in 10 products
• Caprylhydroxamic acid
  Chelating antifungal preservative.in 7 products
• Caprylyl glycol
  Glycol preservative booster, humectant.in 44 products
• Chlorphenesin
  Antifungal preservative.in 4 products
• Ethylhexylglycerin
  Preservative booster and deodorising agent.in 121 products
• Hydroxyacetophenone
  Antioxidant and preservative booster.in 9 products
• Octenidine HCl
  Cationic antiseptic used by a few Indian labs.
• Parabens
  Methyl and propyl paraben, the most studied preservatives.in 5 products
• Phenoxyethanol
  The standard broad-spectrum preservative at up to 1 percent.in 184 products
• Potassium sorbate
  Antifungal preservative, works at low pH.in 91 products
• Sodium benzoate
  Food-grade preservative, works below pH 5.5.in 112 products

Antioxidants

• Astaxanthin
  Carotenoid antioxidant.in 1 products
• Coenzyme Q10
  Ubiquinone, mitochondrial antioxidant.in 1 products
• Ferulic acid
  Stabilises vitamin C and E, doubles photoprotection.in 7 products
• Green tea EGCG
  Polyphenol with sebum-reducing data.in 4 products
• Resveratrol
  Polyphenol antioxidant.
• Tocopherol
  Vitamin E, free form.in 130 products
• Tocopheryl acetate
  Stable vitamin E ester.in 79 products

Actives

• Glycolic acid
  Smallest AHA, deepest penetration.in 30 products
• Lactic acid
  AHA with humectant effect.in 46 products
• Mandelic acid
  Large lipophilic AHA.in 2 products
• Benzoyl peroxide
  Kills C. acnes by oxidation, no resistance.
• Propolis extract
  Bee resin extract, antibacterial and antioxidant.
• Sulfur
  Keratolytic and antibacterial.
• Tea tree oil
  Melaleuca essential oil, antibacterial at 5 percent.in 11 products
• Zinc PCA
  Zinc salt with sebum-reducing data.in 14 products
• Azelaic acid
  Dicarboxylic acid, anti-acne and anti-pigment.in 6 products
• Adenosine
  Nucleoside with anti-wrinkle data at 0.04 percent.in 25 products
• Caffeine
  Vasoconstrictor and antioxidant, used for puffiness.in 12 products
• Witch hazel
  Hamamelis extract, astringent tannins, often in alcohol.in 7 products
• Salicylic acid
  BHA, oil-soluble, clears inside the pore.in 66 products
• Ceramides
  Barrier lipids. Work in a 3:1:1 ratio with cholesterol and fatty acids.in 34 products
• Cholesterol
  Barrier lipid partner to ceramides.in 11 products
• Ginseng extract
  Panax ginseng, antioxidant and circulation claims.in 1 products
• Rice extract
  Oryza sativa extract or ferment, brightening and softening.in 28 products
• Bifida ferment lysate
  Probiotic lysate used for barrier and repair claims.in 1 products
• Galactomyces ferment filtrate
  Yeast ferment, the SK-II Pitera type.
• Gluconolactone
  PHA, mild exfoliant and humectant.in 9 products
• Copper peptides
  GHK-Cu, wound-healing peptide.in 7 products
• Peptides
  Signal peptides like Matrixyl, palmitoyl tripeptide-1.in 4 products
• Alpha arbutin
  Hydroquinone glycoside, tyrosinase inhibitor.in 32 products
• Hydroquinone
  Reference depigmenting agent, prescription.
• Kojic acid
  Tyrosinase inhibitor from fermentation.in 12 products
• Licorice root extract
  Glabridin and glycyrrhizin, tyrosinase inhibitor and soother.in 45 products
• Tranexamic acid
  Plasmin inhibitor, reduces melanocyte signalling.in 9 products
• Adapalene
  Third-generation prescription-strength retinoid, OTC in India.
• Retinal
  One step from retinoic acid, faster than retinol.
• Retinol
  Converts to retinal then retinoic acid in skin.in 7 products
• Tretinoin
  Retinoic acid itself, prescription.
• Bakuchiol
  Plant retinoid alternative.in 3 products
• Allantoin
  Soothing keratolytic.in 89 products
• Artemisia extract
  Mugwort extract, soothing and antioxidant.
• Bisabolol
  Chamomile-derived soother.in 2 products
• Centella asiatica
  Madecassoside and asiaticoside, calming and collagen support.in 42 products
• Colloidal oatmeal
  Finely milled oat, FDA skin protectant with avenanthramides.in 11 products
• Houttuynia cordata extract
  Heartleaf extract, Korean soothing and anti-inflammatory botanical.in 6 products
• Snail secretion filtrate
  Snail mucin, a mix of glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid and glycolic acid.in 3 products
• Niacinamide
  Vitamin B3. Sebum, barrier, pigment transfer, at 2 to 5 percent.in 174 products
• Ascorbyl glucoside
  Stable vitamin C glycoside.in 2 products
• Ethyl ascorbic acid
  Stable, oil and water soluble vitamin C.in 13 products
• L-Ascorbic acid
  Pure vitamin C, needs pH 3.5 and 10 to 20 percent.in 16 products
• Sodium ascorbyl phosphate
  Stable vitamin C salt with anti-acne data at 5 percent.in 7 products
• Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
  Oil-soluble vitamin C ester.in 14 products

Modern UV filters

• DHHB (Uvinul A Plus)
  Oil-soluble UVA I filter, peak 354 nm. Max 10 percent.in 16 products
• Ensulizole
  Water-soluble UVB filter from the 1990s.in 9 products
• Ethylhexyl triazone (Uvinul T 150)
  Strongest UVB absorber per gram. Max 5 percent.in 10 products
• Iscotrizinol
  Oil-soluble UVB to UVA II, Korean favourite.
• Mexoryl 400
  Ultra-long UVA filter to 400 nm, L'Oréal exclusive.
• Mexoryl SX (ecamsule)
  Water-soluble UVA filter, peak 345 nm.in 5 products
• Mexoryl XL
  Oil-soluble broad spectrum silicone filter.in 5 products
• Polysilicone-15
  Silicone-bound UVB filter, weak per gram.in 1 products
• Tinosorb A2B
  Particulate UVB to UVA II filter.
• Tinosorb M (bisoctrizole)
  Particulate broad spectrum filter in water dispersion.in 8 products
• Tinosorb S (bemotrizinol)
  Oil-soluble broad spectrum UVA and UVB. Max 10 percent.in 14 products
• TriAsorB
  Particulate filter reaching into blue light, Pierre Fabre.

Old-generation UV filters

• Avobenzone
  UVA I filter that breaks down in sunlight unless stabilised.in 15 products
• Butyloctyl salicylate
  Salicylate ester sold as an SPF booster, not a listed filter.in 1 products
• Homosalate
  Weak UVB filter needing 10 percent.in 2 products
• Octinoxate
  Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, UVB. Degrades avobenzone.in 29 products
• Octisalate
  Ethylhexyl salicylate, weak UVB solvent-filter.in 22 products
• Octocrylene
  UVB filter and avobenzone stabiliser.in 14 products
• Oxybenzone
  Benzophenone-3, broad UVB and UVA II.in 9 products

Mineral filters and pigments

• Iron oxides
  Red, yellow and black pigments. Block visible light.in 17 products
• Titanium dioxide
  UVB particulate, often a booster in hybrids.in 59 products
• Zinc oxide
  Broad spectrum particulate, weak per gram.in 18 products

pH adjusters and chelators

• Aminomethyl propanol
  Amine neutraliser, cleaner than TEA.in 1 products
• Citric acid
  Acid for pH adjustment.in 104 products
• Disodium EDTA
  Chelator that protects preservatives.in 101 products
• Sodium gluconate
  Mild chelator.in 100 products
• Sodium hydroxide
  Base for neutralising acids and carbomers.in 68 products
• Sodium phytate
  Plant chelator.in 4 products
• Triethanolamine
  Amine neutraliser.in 61 products
• Trisodium EDDS
  Biodegradable chelator.in 4 products
• Tromethamine
  Amine neutraliser, gentle.in 34 products

Fragrance, colour, solvents

• Alcohol denat
  Solvent that lightens texture and dries the barrier.in 48 products
• CI dyes
  Synthetic colourants for the product, not the skin.
• Essential oils
  Plant volatiles with fragrance allergens.in 29 products
• Linalool and limonene
  Named fragrance allergens, oxidise to sensitisers.in 60 products
• Mica
  Pearlescent mineral.in 6 products
• Parfum
  Undisclosed fragrance blend.in 205 products