Rating: Good
Categories: Emollient, Plant-Extracts
This mix of esters provides moisturizing and conditioning properties to skin care products and is partially derived from castor oil.

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: Good
Categories: Emollient, Texture-Enhancer, Solvent
Skin-softening, moisture-sealing emollient that can also be used to improve the smooth/even dispersion of a formula.

Rating: Good
Categories: Silicone, Texture-Enhancer, Polymer
Silicone derivative used as thickener, stabilizer, and suspending agent in skin care products. It has been deemed safe as used in cosmetics.

Rating: Good
Categories: Polymer, Humectant, Solvent
This synthetic polymer plays many roles in skin care, including humectant (moisture-binding agent), solvent, and keeping emulsions from separating.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier
Used in cosmetics primarily as a mild cleansing agent, this coconut-derived ingredient is considered extremely stable and safe.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer
This fatty, non-drying alcohol enhances a product’s texture and helps its moisturizing capabilities. It’s been deemed safe as used in skin care.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier, Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer
Versatile, commonly used ingredient that can be used as an emulsifier, cleansing agent, and emollient. In general, it helps enhance the texture of the formula and contributes to a soft after feel on skin.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emollient, Texture-Enhancer
An ester derived from isotearic acid which is used as a thickener, moisturizing ingredient, and binding agent in cosmetics. It has been ruled safe as used in skin care.

Rating: Good
Categories: Silicone, Film-Forming-Agent, Suspending-Dispersing-Agent
A polymer that acts as a film former and skin conditioning ingredient in skin care products. Used in amounts up to 55.2% and has been ruled safe as used in cosmetics.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant
Highly stable form of vitamin C that protects skin from oxidative damage and collagen breakdown.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Retinoids
One of the most recognized anti-aging ingredients, this powerhouse has multiple benefits for skin. With over seven decades of research proving its effectiveness, it’s used in several strengths and types of products to deliver visible results.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient
Formerly called ceramide 2, this ceramide helps improve skin’s barrier strength.

Rating: Best
Categories: Peptides
This peptide blends four amino acids with a fatty acid to enhance penetration, where it goes to work quieting factors in skin that trigger irritation and damage to skin’s supportive elements.

Rating: Best
Categories: Peptides
This lab-made peptide matches a sequence of amino acids found in skin. As such, skin recognizes and can understand the signals the peptide sends, which leads to a smoother, more youthful appearance.

Rating: Best
Categories: Humectant, Antioxidant
The more bio-available, salt form of hyaluronic acid. I’s considered an excellent moisturizer, helping skin retain water so it looks and feels smoother.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
This licorice derivative has strong antioxidant and skin soothing properties.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
This extract from oats has antioxidant benefits for skin and is well-known for its potent soothing properties.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant-Extracts
AKA burdock root, Arctium lappa root extract is a plant-derived soothing and antioxidant ingredient that has anti-aging properties.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
Plant extract whose soothing antioxidant benefits help support blemish-prone skin.

Rating: Best
Categories: Emollient, Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
Glycine soja sterols, derived from soybeans, have both moisturizing and antioxidant properties.

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

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
Modified version of soy protein that has antioxidant properties.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier
Cleansing agent/emulsifier used to enhance the overall texture of the formula.

Rating: Best
Categories: Peptides
A lab-made skin-firming peptide formed from a reaction between acetic acid, cetyl alcohol and dipeptide-1, which contains the amino acids arginine and tyrosine.

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: Texture-Enhancer, Film-Forming-Agent, Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer
This naturally derived ingredient serves as a thickening agent in cosmetics and has clinical and food usages as well.

Rating: Best
Categories: Peptides
Synthetic peptide proven to strengthen skin’s underlying supportive elements and visibly reduce signs of sun damage such as wrinkles and rough texture.

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: Humectant, Occlusive-Opacifying-Agent
This mix of glycerin and behenic acid conditions skin and has been deemed non-irritating and safe as used in cosmetics.

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: Humectant, Solvent, Preservative
This water-binding ingredient works well in cosmetics as a hydrating ingredient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It has been deemed safe for use in skin care products.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emollient, Cleansing-Agent

Rating: Good
Categories: Film-Forming-Agent, Humectant
A synthetic film-forming agent that also works to condition skin and contributes to liquid and gel textures. It’s considered highly stable even when exposed to extreme heat.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier
Cleansing agent/emulsifier that can help enhance the overall texture of the formula. In certain capacities, this ingredient can also help rejuvenate aging skin by keeping it pliant and supple.

Rating: Good
Categories: Silicone, Polymer, Humectant
Replenishing ingredient that has a skin-softening effect and contributes to a more elegant texture.

Rating: Good
Categories: Polymer, Humectant
Has the ability to increase skin’s hydration, while also helping ingredients in the formula mesh more cohesively.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Absorbent
Naturally derived clay-based absorbent that is most often used to enhance the texture and spreadability of a formula.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Emulsifier
Emulsifying agent that can be used to enhance formulary texture.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emollient, Texture-Enhancer
Non-irritating waxy substance used as a thickening agent and emollient in cosmetics. May also be used as part of an emulsifying blend to help create a cohesive texture.

Rating: Good
Categories: Texture-Enhancer, Ph-Adjuster-Stabilizer
This naturally derived ingredient functions as a thickener, stabilizer, and skin conditioning ingredient in cosmetics. It is a sugar-based ingredient produced through the fermentation of a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii.

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.