Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier
Serves a variety of roles within cosmetic formulas, primarily as a surfactant/emulsifier/solubilizing agent. Can also enhance the penetration of other key ingredients.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Texture-Enhancer
Multitasks as a cleansing agent, emulsifier/stabilizer and formulary texture enhancer.

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: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Texture-Enhancer
Gentle cleansing ingredient used in face and body washes that can help increase lather. It can be naturally derived from coconut oil or produced synthetically.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
The Latin name for the flower extract of a type of chamomile. It has soothing and antioxidant 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: Good
Categories: Emollient, Occlusive-Opacifying-Agent, Solvent
Clear, odorless oil derived from petroleum that is widely used in cosmetics.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emollient
This ingredient partially derived from coconut helps soften skin and serves as an emulsifier and surfactant in skin care products. It has been ruled safe as used in cosmetics.

Rating: Good
Categories: Humectant, Texture-Enhancer
Humectant (hydration booster), texture/penetration enhancer, and formulary solvent. May also help decrease rough surface skin and stabilize the formula.

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: 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: Solvent, Texture-Enhancer
Solvent that is well-known for producing smooth spreadability and more pleasing textures in skin care formulas. Also used to enhance the efficacy of cosmetic preservative phenoxyethanol so it works better in lower amounts.

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

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
Effective skin care preservative that inhibits contamination and helps stabilize the formula’s shelf life.