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: Silicone, Texture-Enhancer
Silicone elastomer that forms a flexible, breathable mesh-like film on skin as it imparts a powder-soft finish that enhances skin texture

Rating: Good
Categories: Emulsifier, Cleansing-Agent, Silicone, Texture-Enhancer
A silicone polymer that offers skin-softening properties and plays a variety of other roles, including formulary texture enhancer and dispersing agent.

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, Plant-Extracts
Soothing antioxidant with the power to help minimize discolorations, while rebuffing other signs of aging.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Humectant
Helps visibly minimize pore size, improve dull/uneven tone, and reduce wrinkle depth. Also known to fortify skin's barrier strength and boost hydration.

Rating: Best
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant-Extracts
A natural ingredient found in a wide variety of plants, including tomatoes, kale, and berries. In skin care, it serves as an antioxidant, soothing, and restorative ingredient.

Rating: Best
Categories: Plant-Extracts
Known for wrinkle-smoothing and skin-soothing benefits. Adenosine is also naturally present in skin, allowing for ideal biocompatibility.

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

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: Best
Categories: Humectant, Emollient, Antioxidant
A type of fat found naturally in skin, these ingredients have value in skin care for their ability to both attract water and deliver it to areas that need increased hydration. They also have antioxidant properties.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Humectant, Chelating-Agent, Exfoliant
This plant-based antioxidant can help calm sensitivity in skin. It also has mild exfoliant properties and is often used in conjunction with salicylic and glycolic acids in facial peels.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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.