They're Real! Lengthening Mascara

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

A natural wax secreted by honeybees, used as an emollient and texture builder in balms and salves. It is generally well tolerated. People with bee or pollen allergies should patch test, as rare sensitization has been documented.

A highly refined, inert petroleum-derived emollient that has been used in cosmetics and skincare for over a century. It creates a protective moisture barrier on the skin and is well tolerated by the vast majority of users, with minimal risk of irritation or sensitization.

This is a film-forming polymer built from styrene, ammonium methacrylate, and an acrylic or methacrylic acid monomer, used to lay down a flexible, water-resistant film that helps hold hair styles, sets nail polish, or extends makeup wear. CIR reviewed it within its broad acrylates copolymer family and found no evidence of a safety concern in current cosmetic use; the starting monomers have their own toxicology, but the finished, polymerized copolymer is considered safe when formulated to avoid irritation.

A corn-derived solvent and humectant that has largely replaced propylene glycol in "clean" formulas; CIR reviewed the alkane diol group and found use concentrations up to about 40 percent in leave-on products like deodorant sticks with no meaningful irritation signal.

A common emulsifier and texture-softener made from glycerin and stearic acid. CIR review of this class found no evidence of reproductive, carcinogenic, sensitizing, or phototoxic effects in the studies examined.

A synthetic polymer that functions as a lightweight occlusive emollient, providing slip and smoothness to formulations. It is an inert ingredient with no reported sensitization or irritation concerns and is widely used in cosmetic and personal care products.

VP/eicosene copolymer is a synthetic polymer of vinylpyrrolidone and the hydrocarbon eicosene, used as a film former and dispersant in sunscreens, hairsprays, and lipsticks to help the product cling to skin or hair and hold up against water and humidity. CIR reviewed it as part of a broader group of vinylpyrrolidone polymers and found no evidence of irritation, sensitization, or other safety signal at the concentrations reported in use.

A surfactant derived from stearyl alcohol with a higher degree of ethoxylation than Steareth-2, providing enhanced emulsification. It is graded safe for cosmetic use and well tolerated.

A saturated fatty acid found in palm oil and naturally in the skin, used as an emollient to soften and condition skin. It is one of the most studied fatty acids and is well tolerated.

A naturally occurring fatty acid (also made in the body and found in many foods) used to thicken lotions and help stabilize cleansing bars. It is one of the most well-studied emollient ingredients and is not a meaningful irritant at cosmetic use levels.

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

A gentle surfactant derived from stearyl alcohol and ethylene oxide. It is used to stabilize emulsions and is well tolerated in rinse-off and leave-on formulas. Approved for cosmetic use.

A mineral thickener and anti-caking agent widely used in sunscreens and cosmetics to control texture and prevent ingredient separation. CIR has reviewed silica in cosmetic use and found no basis for concern at the levels used topically.

A buffering agent used in small amounts to maintain or adjust the pH of formulas to keep them skin-friendly. It is not added as an active ingredient but to keep the product at a safe and stable pH level.

A lightweight humectant and solvent similar in role to propylene glycol, used to carry actives and give lotions a lighter feel. CIR has reviewed it and considers it safe as used in cosmetics.

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.

A common foaming cleanser, milder than SLS. Fine for most people in a rinse-off product.

A cellulose derivative used to thicken and stabilize formulas. It dissolves fully in water and does not separate or settle over time. It is well tolerated and widely used in gels, lotions, and serums.

A mild white clay that absorbs excess oil and lightly buffs the skin surface in wash-off masks; it is well tolerated across skin types and rinses away cleanly.

An inert mineral powder used as a filler and white base for color cosmetics. It is not the same as the antiperspirant aluminum compounds that trigger health concerns. Well tolerated and FDA-approved for cosmetic use.

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 salt used to adjust and maintain the pH of cosmetic formulations. It has no safety concern at typical cosmetic use levels.

A buffering salt used to maintain stable pH in cosmetic products. It has a well-established safety history in cosmetic use.

A synthetic surfactant widely used to emulsify oils and water in cosmetics. It is well tolerated and has been used safely in cosmetic formulations for decades.

A humectant that holds water at the skin surface for a more hydrated look. No safety concern.

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

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.

Mineral pigments used to add color to cosmetics. Iron oxides are FDA-approved colorants with a well-established safety record in cosmetic formulations.