Clear Complexion Foundation

The base most products are built on. It carries the other ingredients and has no safety concern.

A lightweight, volatile silicone that gives serums and primers their silky slip and quick-evaporating finish. Human safety data are reassuring; the EU restriction on this ingredient in rinse-off products is about environmental persistence in waterways, not skin safety.

A humectant that draws water into the skin. One of the best-studied, best-tolerated ingredients in personal care.

A synthetic polymer used to impart silky texture and film-forming properties in skincare. Nylon particles remain on the surface and do not penetrate or absorb systemically, with a long history of safe use in cosmetics.

Trimethylsiloxysilicate is a silicone resin built from trimethylsiloxy and silicate units, used in makeup and skin and hair products to form a light, flexible film that adds body, wear, and a soft-focus finish. CIR's expert panel reviewed clinical and animal data on this and related silylates and concluded the ingredient is safe as used, provided the finished product is formulated so it isn't irritating to the eyes or respiratory tract when it's inhaled as a fine powder or aerosol.

PEG/PPG-18/18 dimethicone is a silicone modified with polyethylene and polypropylene glycol chains, which lets it act as a co-emulsifier that holds water droplets inside a silicone base, useful for long-wearing liquid foundations and other water-in-silicone formulas. CIR's expert panel reviewed dimethicone copolyols as a group and concluded this ingredient is safe as used up to 10%.

A silicone that gives a smooth, soft feel and helps hold water in the skin. Inert and well studied.

A silicone-based conditioning agent that adds smoothness and soft feel to formulas. Silicones in cosmetics are not absorbed by the skin and rinse cleanly, making them well-tolerated for most users.

A naturally occurring mineral used as a powder filler to impart smoothness and soft-focus texture in cosmetics. It is inert, non-absorbed, and poses no known irritation or sensitization concerns at cosmetic use levels.

A synthetic ester used as an emollient and skin-conditioning agent in cosmetic formulations. Established safety profile in cosmetic use at typical concentrations.

A plant-derived wax from carnauba palm leaves, widely used in cosmetics to provide texture and protective film-forming properties. Extensively documented as safe for topical use.

A plant-derived water or extract used mainly as a soothing humectant filler. Evidence for dramatic skin benefits beyond mild hydration and soothing is limited, but it is well tolerated by most people.

Caprylyl glycol is a plant-derived humectant that also has mild antimicrobial properties, so it is commonly paired with other preservatives to allow lower overall preservative levels. Available data do not point to meaningful irritation or sensitization concerns at typical use levels.

Broken-down plant proteins, often from soy or wheat, that bind water and improve skin feel. They are well tolerated and have been used safely in cosmetics for decades, though those with plant-derived allergens should patch-test if sensitive.

A phospholipid emulsifier from soy or sunflower that binds water and oil and helps other ingredients absorb. It is a natural component of skin membranes, well tolerated, and reviewed as safe as used; a soy-derived grade is not a meaningful concern for a soy food allergy because the protein is largely absent.

A starch derivative used in cosmetics to thicken formulations and improve texture. It has been used safely in food and cosmetics for decades and shows low irritation potential across rinse-off and leave-on products.

A silicone emulsifier combining polyethylene glycol and dimethicone to help blend water and oil phases in serums and primers. Limited but consistent data support its safety in cosmetic formulations.

Tetrasodium EDTA is a chelating agent that binds trace metal ions to keep formulas stable and help preservatives work better. It has circulated online as a supposed "toxic" additive, but decades of safety review support its use at cosmetic concentrations.

A more stable, esterified form of vitamin E used as an antioxidant and skin-conditioning ingredient. It is a different substance from the vitamin E acetate implicated in vaping-related lung injury, which involved inhaling the oil, not applying it topically to skin.

A silane used to improve texture and conditioning properties in leave-on cosmetics. It is hydrolyzed during formulation and creates silicone-like benefits; well tolerated at standard use levels.

A low-viscosity cyclic silicone used in primers and lightweight cosmetics for smooth application. It is inert and well tolerated on the skin without identified safety concerns.

A widely used preservative, safe at the legal limit of 1% or less. Often the "paraben-free" replacement.