Rating: Good
Categories: Emollient, Texture-Enhancer
Substance made by bees to build the walls of their honeycomb. Used as a thickening agent and emollient in skin care, lip care, and other cosmetic formulations.

Rating: Good
Categories: Occlusive-Opacifying-Agent, Texture-Enhancer
A mineral wax used as a texture enhancer in cosmetics, especially to add stability to lipsticks and stick foundations and keep them blended.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emollient, Texture-Enhancer
Oil extracted from the jojoba plant, processed through controlled hydrogenation resulting in a soft wax. Provides skin-softening and moisturizing properties.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Polymer, Film-Forming-Agent
A synthetic polymer whose many uses in cosmetics depend on whether it is used in solid, wax, or liquid forms. In solid form it can be an abrasive; wax and liquid forms serve as binding or thickening agents and film-formers.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Occlusive-Opacifying-Agent
Used as a thickener and to give products a semi-solid to solid smooth texture. Utilized most often in lip care products

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Absorbent, Occlusive-Opacifying-Agent
This mineral ingredient functions as an absorbent and thickening agent in cosmetics and can help enhance the absorption of other ingredients as well.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant
A form of vitamin E frequently used in cosmetics for its antioxidant benefit.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant-Extracts, Emollient
Also known as shea butter, this a plant lipid used as an emollient in cosmetics. It also provides antioxidant benefits.

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: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Plant-Extracts, Absorbent
Primarily used as a thickening agent, but also has film-forming and absorbent properties. Can be used to impart glossy shine.

Rating: Good
Categories: Solvent
This is the most widely used ingredient in skin care, often appearing first in product ingredient lists. Used as a solvent.

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