Rating: Best
Categories: Silicone, Emollient
An skin-softening silicone known for its permeable (think breathable) barrier that helps skin retain hydration. It has a uniquely silky, non-greasy feel.

Rating: Good
Categories: Solvent, Humectant, Texture-Enhancer
Helps restore a supple feel to skin and enhances the texture of the formula.

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

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant-Extracts
Found in the root of the turmeric plant and lab-made for many skin care uses, this compound delivers potent antioxidant, soothing, and discoloration-reducing benefits to skin.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant-Extracts
One of a group of soothing natural ingredients known as curcuminoids. Derived from the root of the turmeric plant, research has shown this antioxidant has multiple skin-soothing and tone-improving benefits.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant
A turmeric root-derived ingredient that belongs to a group of antioxidants known as curcuminoids. It possesses calming, antioxidants, and discoloration-improving traits.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant-Extracts
A component of green tea that’s well known for its potent antioxidant abilities for skin, as well as its properties as a soothing ingredient.

Rating: Best
Categories: Exfoliant, Humectant
Oil-soluble exfoliating ingredient that gently helps slough off dead skin cells and unclogs pores, for softer, smoother texture and tone.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Humectant
This blend is part natural, part synthetic and offers multiple functions, including working as a cleansing agent and mild preservative. Research indicates it may also help calm redness.

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: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant, Fragrance-Synthetic-And-Natural
A naturally derived ingredient well known for its antioxidant and skin soothing benefits. Its flavor component, which is considered non-sensitizing, is also used as an additive in food and lip products.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts, Antioxidant
Soothing ingredient with significant skin-calming properties. Can be derived from plants (such as chamomile) or made synthetically.

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: Silicone, Emollient, Solvent
Lightweight, conditioning silicone that creates silky-smooth spreadabilty and an enhanced sensorial feel. Also promotes even distribution of other ingredients in a formula.

Rating: Good
Categories: Silicone, Emollient, Solvent
Enhances skin’s hydration while also contributing to the formula’s silky texture and smooth spreadability. Helps distribute ingredients evenly and effectively to skin.

Rating: Good
Categories: Silicone, Emollient
Skin-conditioning emollient that helps preserve hydration while enhancing formulary texture for more elegant aesthetics.

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: 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: Cleansing-Agent
Typically functions as a cleansing agent but can also be used to help keep ingredients soluble and enhance the texture of the formula.

Rating: Good
Categories: Emulsifier, Texture-Enhancer
Emulisifier/thickener that enhances the texture and stabilizes the formula.

Rating: Good
Categories: Polymer, Film-Forming-Agent, Texture-Enhancer
Film-forming agent that also acts as a thickener and helps promote smooth spreadability.

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, Solvent
Emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer.

Rating: Good
Categories: Cleansing-Agent, Texture-Enhancer, Emulsifier
Works in various capacities as a cleansing agent/emulsifier/texture enhancer.

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: 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: 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: 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, 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.