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: Good
Categories: Film-Forming-Agent, Emollient
This moisturizing film-forming agent also improves sunscreen performance by enhancing its ability to adhere to skin and resist coming off in water or with friction.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer
A salt-derived blend of aluminum and stearic acid which functions as a stabilizer and thickening agent, among other things.

Rating: Good
Categories: Solvent, Emollient
Most often used instead of various silicones and mineral oil, this hydrocarbon solvent has emollient properties with a light, silky finish.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient, Emulsifier, Suspending-Dispersing-Agent
Plays many different roles including dispersing agent, skin-conditioning emollient, and emulsifying agent. Enhances the penetration of other ingredients for greater efficacy.

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: Good
Categories: Humectant
Humectant plant sugar that boosts skin’s hydration and offers antioxidant properties to help preserve youthfulness.

Rating: Good
Categories: Suspending-Dispersing-Agent, Polymer
Often used to coat mineral sunscreen active ingredients in order to help them disperse evenly and remain inert. Other roles include emulsion stabilizer, film-former, and texture-enhancing thickener.

Rating: Average
Categories: Absorbent, Texture-Enhancer
Naturally occurring mineral used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive in skin care products. Also known as aluminum oxide.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emollient, Emulsifier, Cleansing-Agent
An emollient, emulsifier and wetting agent in cosmetics that can also help support preservatives and in certain formulas aid cleansing.

Rating: Good
Categories: Suspending-Dispersing-Agent, Texture-Enhancer, Polymer
A synthetic polymer whose versatility gives it many aesthetically pleasing uses in cosmetics while helping create and maintain stable, effective formulas.

Rating: Good
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Preservative
Leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate is a preservative created by fermenting Raphanus sativus (radish) roots.

Rating: Best
Categories: Humectant, Texture-Enhancer, Prebiotic-Probiotic-Postbiotic
Derived from chicory root or sugarcane, this complex carbohydrate is also a resistant starch (fiber) that has prebiotic, hydrating and soothing benefits on skin.

Rating: Good
Categories: Preservative
This preservative is used to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi in cosmetics and food products. It’s derived from benzoic acid.

Rating: Good
Categories: Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer, Chelating-Agent
Ingredient used in skin care products to adjust a formula's pH. In the right concentration/formula, it can also exfoliate skin.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Film-Forming-Agent, Polymer
A synthetic polymer and film-forming agent that also serves as a thickening agent in cosmetics products.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant-Extracts
This star ingredient of South Korean cica creams is a rich source of antioxidant and amino acids. It’s well known for its soothing properties.

Rating: Good
Categories: Silicone, Texture-Enhancer
Silicone that functions as a binding agent and emulsion stabilizer. Often used to coat mineral sunscreen actives to improve aesthetics; can also help reduce oxidative stress.

Rating: Best
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Emollient
Synthetic texture enhancer that’s lightweight and emollient and is sometimes used as a replacement for silicones in cosmetics. It is considered renewable and biodegradable.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient, Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
Non-fragrant replenishing plant oils rich in phospholipids and omega fatty acids. Helps to improve skin’s environmental defenses.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier
This naturally derived ingredient is produced from the fermentation of simple sugars, and acts as a thickening agent, texture enhancer, and emulsion stabilizer in cosmetics.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts
An ingredient that can be naturally derived or made synthetically. It has skin-soothing and moisturizing properties, making it an excellent inclusion in products designed for sensitive skin.

Rating: Good
Categories: Chelating-Agent, Preservative
This stable, water-soluble preservative protects cosmetics from mold growth and helps chelate metal ions that can destabilize formulas.

Rating: Good
Categories: Film-Forming-Agent, Polymer, Absorbent
Has multiple uses in cosmetics as a film-forming agent, emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and absorbent. It can absorb 100–1000 times its mass in water.

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: Best
Categories: Emollient, Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
This natural prebiotic helps reinforce and support a healthy microbiome while helping skin become less likely to show signs of irritation.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Emulsifier
Used in various capacities to enhance the smooth feel or adhesion of a skin care formula; also functions as a thickening agent, emulsifier, or stabilizer. May also deliver skin-soothing properties.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier
Emulsifier and mild cleansing agents that also improves penetration of key ingredients without irritating skin.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier
A very mild cleansing agent that also helps stabilize skin care formulas and keep oil- and water-based ingredients from separating.

Rating: Good
Categories: Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer, Chelating-Agent, Antioxidant, Preservative
This workhorse ingredient helps control the pH of skin care products, making it valuable in exfoliants, cleansers, and toners. It also has antioxidant, chelating and preservative properties, and is used in both food and medical applications.

Rating: Good
Categories: Film-Forming-Agent, Texture-Enhancer, Polymer
This polymer and film-forming agent is also used as a replacement for silicones in cosmetics. It can be naturally derived or produced synthetically.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant
Stable, oil-soluble form of vitamin C that works as an antioxidant and helps stabilize skin care formulas.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emollient, Emulsifier, Cleansing-Agent
This moisturizing ingredient is found naturally in the human body but is usually plant- or synthetically derived in cosmetics. It has been deemed safe as used in cosmetics and is also used as a food additive.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient, Emulsifier, Cleansing-Agent
Beneficial properties include emolliency (think skin softening), water-binding (to boost hydration), and emulsifying (to help water + oil ingredients mesh in a formula). Can also be used to encapsulate ingredients for improved dermal delivery.

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: Emollient, Emulsifier, Cleansing-Agent
Mixture of portions of glycerin and oleic acid that can serve as an emollient, surfactant, emulsifier, and absorption enhancer within skin care formulas.