Purifying Care Cleansing Gel

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

A sugar-derived, biodegradable cleansing surfactant made from coconut/palm fatty alcohol and glucose; it is markedly gentler than sulfates and is the workhorse of "sensitive skin" or fragrance-free cleansers. CIR reviewed it with other alkyl glucosides and found it safe as used when the finished product is formulated to be non-irritating.

Ordinary salt, used in surfactant-based products like shampoos and body washes to adjust viscosity by interacting with the surfactant micelles. It has no meaningful toxicity concern at cosmetic use levels; the main practical downside is that too much can make a formula feel less mild.

A coconut oil-derived amphoteric surfactant. Mild and gentle enough to be used in baby washes and sensitive-skin products, well-tolerated by most skin types.

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

A plant-derived emollient and preservative formed from glycerin and caprylic acid (coconut) that helps retain moisture and supports formula stability through mild antimicrobial activity.

Used in tiny amounts to set a product to skin-friendly pH. No concern at those levels.

A fast-evaporating solvent used to carry actives and give toners a light, "clean" feel; at the concentrations used in classic astringents it can be genuinely drying or irritating with repeated use, especially on dry or compromised skin, though it is not inherently toxic and is a normal, well-studied cosmetic ingredient.

A widely used, gentle preservative also common in food. It is generally well tolerated, though it can occasionally cause mild, transient irritation in people with already-compromised or very reactive skin.

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.

A fragrance fixative and solvent found naturally in balsams and used to help scents last longer. It is one of the 26 EU-designated fragrance allergens, with documented but uncommon contact sensitization.

A soothing humectant that helps skin and hair look conditioned. Very well tolerated.

Rosemary extract is widely used at low levels as a natural antioxidant to help stabilize oils and extend product shelf life, in addition to appearing as an active botanical in some formulas. It is generally well tolerated, with occasional mild contact reactions reported, mostly at higher leave-on concentrations.

Chamomile extract is used for its soothing and mild antioxidant reputation and is generally well tolerated. It belongs to the Asteraceae (Compositae) plant family, so people with a known ragweed or daisy-family allergy occasionally react to it and may want to patch test first.