Rating: Best
Categories: Humectant, Emollient, Antioxidant
A type of fat found naturally in skin, these ingredients have value in skin care for their ability to both attract water and deliver it to areas that need increased hydration. They also have antioxidant properties.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Humectant
An enzyme that breaks down potentially harmful oxygen molecules, making it a powerful antioxidant. It has anti-aging and calming properties for skin and helps protect against UV damage.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts
Known for wrinkle-smoothing and skin-soothing benefits. Adenosine is also naturally present in skin, allowing for ideal biocompatibility.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant
One of four forms of vitamin E. It can be naturally or synthetically derived. Regardless of its origin, tocopherol has potent oil-soluble antioxidant properties and can help defend skin from pollution and environmental stressors.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
Soothing ingredient with significant skin-calming properties. Can be derived from plants (such as chamomile) or made synthetically.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
Skin-soothing antioxidant that delivers additional beneficial compounds, such as amino acids. May also help visibly correct uneven skin tone.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
The United States Food Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes this as a skin protectant, allowing it to be listed as an active ingredient on skin care products.

Rating: Best
Categories: Humectant, Solvent
Also known as pro-vitamin B5. Humectant that increases hydration substantially by attracting/retaining moisture. Can also play a role in visibly reducing facial redness triggered by sensitivity.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant-Extracts
Potent antioxidant and soothing ingredient.

Rating: Good
Categories: Silicone, Emollient, Occlusive-Opacifying-Agent
A silicone polymer that plays multiple roles in cosmetics. It can be a foam-reducing agent, emollient, emulsifier, and occlusive (meaning it prevents water loss but does not suffocate skin).

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Absorbent
A synthetic powdery thickening agent, absorbent, and anti-caking agent used in skin care and makeup products.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer, Polymer
This synthetic ingredient is used to enhance the texture of skin care and hair care products and has been ruled safe as used in cosmetics.

Rating: Best
Categories: Uv-Filters, Coloring-Agent-Pigment, Occlusive-Opacifying-Agent
A versatile ingredient that serves several functions in cosmetics, this earth mineral is perhaps best known as a sunscreen active that's gentle enough even for skin prone to redness and sensitivity.

Rating: Good
Categories: Preservative
A preservative that can be naturally derived or made synthetically. It prevents the growth of bacteria, mold, and fungi and is considered safe as used in cosmetics.

Rating: Average
Categories: Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer
Also known as lye, this ingredient is highly alkaline, meaning it is on the basic side of the pH range (its pH is naturally 13). It is used in small amounts in cosmetics (such as cleansers and exfoliants) adjust their pH.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emulsifier
Fatty alcohol-derived surfactant, emulsifier, and stabilizing ingredient that’s been ruled safe as it is used in cosmetics.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emulsifier
Fatty alcohol-derived emulsifier that helps water oil-based ingredients stay mixed in both water- and oil-based solutions.

Rating: Good
Categories: Chelating-Agent
One of the salt forms of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, it improves the stability of other cosmetics ingredients, helping them last longer. It’s been deemed safe as used in cosmetics and is even used as an additive in some foods.

Rating: Good
Categories: Preservative
Safe preservative known to be well-tolerated by skin; offers wide spectrum protection against unwanted microbials in a formula.