Original Face Wash

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

A coconut-derived amphoteric surfactant used to boost foam and mildness in cleansers and shampoos. CIR has reviewed it as safe as used, but it is one of the more established contact-allergy triggers in personal care, usually traced to manufacturing impurities such as amidoamine and dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) rather than the betaine itself. People with a history of eyelid or scalp dermatitis are more likely to react.

A mild non-ionic cleansing agent made from coconut fatty alcohols and plant sugars (glucose). It is widely used in sulfate-free shampoos and gentle cleansers and is one of the least irritating surfactants in common use.

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

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

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 strong alkali used in tiny amounts to adjust the pH of cosmetics to safe, skin-friendly levels. At the pH found in finished products, sodium hydroxide is neutralized and well tolerated.

A naturally occurring acid used to preserve and adjust pH in cosmetic formulas. It is generally recognized as safe at cosmetic use levels, with mild irritation possible on broken or very sensitive skin at higher concentrations.

An undisclosed scent blend that can contain dozens of components. The single most common cause of cosmetic contact allergy, and the blend is not itemized, so you cannot see what is in it.

Dehydroacetic acid is a preservative regulated under the EU preservative annex with a set maximum concentration. Sensitization appears to be rare, though occasional contact dermatitis case reports exist, so people with reactive skin may want to patch test.

A citrus-scented fragrance component. Fine for most, but it oxidizes over time into a known contact allergen, so it must be labelled in the EU.

Green tea extract is a well-studied topical antioxidant with a long history of use in serums and moisturizers, generally well tolerated at cosmetic concentrations. Panel safety reviews of Camellia sinensis-derived ingredients have not identified meaningful topical hazard.

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.

The sodium salt of benzoic acid, used as a preservative in both foods and cosmetics. Decades of safety review support its use at typical cosmetic concentrations, with mild irritation the main reported issue in sensitive skin.

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

An antioxidant that helps protect a formula and condition skin. Well tolerated.