Rating: Best
Categories: Humectant, Texture-Enhancer, Solvent
A naturally occurring substance in skin that helps retain moisture. It is used in skin care products to help defend against dryness.

Rating: Best
Categories: Humectant, Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
Juice expressed from the leaves of the aloe plant. Commonly used in skin care formulations for its soothing and hydration benefits.

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
A type of green tea plant, this ingredient has antioxidant and soothing properties that make it an impressive addition to skin care products.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier
Functions as a cleansing agent and emulsifier. It helps water mix with debris and oil to be rinsed off skin.

Rating: Good
Categories: Preservative
An organic salt used in low amounts as a preservative to prevent formulary spoilage.

Rating: Average
Categories: Texture-Enhancer
Better known as salt, this ingredient is primarily used to thicken skin and hair care formulations. It also functions as a binding agent and sometimes a scrub particle in physical exfoliants.

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
Parabens are a group of controversial preservatives.

Rating: Average
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Preservative
Used as a preservative in skincare products.

Rating: Average
Categories: Preservative, Solvent, Texture-Enhancer
Derived from natural sources, this non-drying alcohol serves as a preservative in cosmetics products, and is considered one of the least-sensitizing preservatives in use.