Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient, Texture-Enhancer, Plant-Extracts
Emollient and skin-replenishing ingredient derived from coconut oil and glycerin. Contains fatty acids that help skin resist moisture loss.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emulsifier, Cleansing-Agent
This dimethicone derivative conditions hair and skin, as well as serving as a surfactant and emulsifier in cosmetics.

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: 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: Cleansing-Agent
This mild cleansing agent can also work with other ingredients to condition and help replenish skin and hair.

Rating: Good
Categories: Humectant, Solvent, Texture-Enhancer
Humectant (hydrator) that can enhance the delivery of key ingredients into skin. Also plays a role in keeping formulas from melting in high heat or freezing in low temps.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient
This type of ceramide helps improve the look and feel of skin thanks to its water retention properties.

Rating: Good
Categories: Preservative, Humectant
Skin-softening agent with hydration boosting properties. Also plays an important preservative role to help keep cosmetic formulas stable.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient
This ceramide helps restore skin’s hydration, texture, and suppleness.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient
Plays a key role in maintaining skin's health, softness, and hydration.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient
This fatty acid is found naturally in the upper layers of skin and helps it retain its natural moisturizing factor (NMF), which benefits skin health. It also has calming properties.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant-Extracts, Texture-Enhancer
Soothing ingredient proven to visibly calm skin and reduce signs of sensitivity + redness. Also offers moisturizing and anti-aging properties.

Rating: Best
Categories: Humectant
Synthetic amino acid used in cosmetics to condition/soften skin. May also help enhance the penetration of other key ingredients and can lessen the impact UV exposure has on skin’s surface.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Polymer, Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer
Often used to create gel-textured formulas or to influence the product’s thickness. Research also shows carbomers can enhance the penetration effectiveness of key actives.

Rating: Good
Categories: Preservative, Plant-Extracts
Conditions skin and hair and is a moisturizing ingredient in many skin care products. Because of its antibacterial action, it also is an effective cosmetics preservative.

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

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts
Powerful soothing ingredient with the ability to halt skin-irritating triggers preventatively, especially beneficial for those with sensitive or redness-prone skin.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer
This inorganic salt compound of calcium and chlorine is used in cosmetics to improve a formula’s texture.

Rating: Best
Categories: Humectant, Antioxidant, Texture-Enhancer
Component of skin that is used in skin care products as a good restorative ingredient.

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: Humectant
This amino acid-based ingredient helps soften and hydrate skin as well as contribute to protein organization within skin’s surface.

Rating: Good
Categories:
This combination of potassium and aspartic acid helps restore skin’s barrier and soothe redness.

Rating: Average
Categories: Preservative, Antioxidant, Irritant
Plays a multitasking role as a preservative, stabilizer, and antioxidant.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant
Also known as coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10, this ingredient is found naturally in the body. It serves as an antioxidant and helps energize factors in the body that can slow with both age and sun exposure, leading to younger, healthier looking skin.

Rating: Good
Categories: Antioxidant
Lab-engineered antioxidant used in a variety of skin care and personal care products to improve formula and color stability while ensuring consistent efficacy of more fragile antioxidants.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient
This type of ceramide helps strengthen skin’s barrier against external stimuli.

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

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: Preservative
This preservative, which can be naturally derived, is often used in conjunction with others because of its weak activity. It also is used to help preserve foods like dried meats and cheeses.