Winter Melon Serum N15

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

A form of vitamin B3 used to support a more even-looking tone and a comfortable barrier. Well tolerated at cosmetic levels.

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 starch derivative used to thicken sunscreen lotions and absorb excess oil; the aluminum here is bound in a starch complex, unlike the soluble aluminum salts used in antiperspirants. CIR has reviewed aluminum starch octenylsuccinate and found it safe as used in cosmetic formulations.

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.

Dimethiconol is a silicone emollient closely related to dimethicone, used to add slip and a smooth finish to creams and serums. It shares dimethicone's long-standing safety record and is considered non-sensitizing and non-comedogenic in typical use.

A fatty alcohol used to soften skin and stabilize creams. Despite the name, it does not dry the skin.

A solvent and penetration enhancer derived from isosorbide that helps active ingredients absorb into skin. Used at low levels in targeted treatments, it is well tolerated at cosmetic concentrations.

A glycol-based humectant and solvent widely used in rinse-off and leave-on cosmetics. Published safety assessments find it well tolerated at the concentrations used in cosmetic formulations.

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.

An extract from neem tree leaves, valued for antioxidant and skin-conditioning benefits in formulations. Well tolerated overall, though isolated cases of contact sensitivity have been reported in the literature.

A plant-derived antioxidant found in seeds and grains, used in cosmetics to protect against free-radical damage. Published safety assessments grade it low-concern and it is generally well tolerated across skin types.

Bisabolol is a botanically derived (or synthetically nature-identical) compound used for its calming, anti-irritant reputation in sensitive-skin formulas. Safety reviews and long clinical use have found it well tolerated with a low rate of reported reactions.

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.

A lightweight, odorless emollient made by combining coconut or palm-derived fatty acids with glycerin. It spreads easily, feels non-greasy, and has a long history of use in skin and hair products with no meaningful irritation or sensitization signal.

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.

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

Carbomer is a synthetic polymer used purely to thicken and stabilize gels and lotions, with negligible skin penetration due to its large molecular size. Safety reviews have found low toxicity and minimal irritation potential even in leave-on use.

A preservative and antioxidant that helps prevent microbial growth and oxidative degradation in formulas. Published assessments support its use at cosmetic levels.

Pentylene glycol is a humectant and solvent that also offers mild antimicrobial support in formulas. It is generally well tolerated, with only rare reports of irritation, mostly in already sensitive or compromised skin.

A light silicone emollient that spreads easily and gives a dry, non-greasy finish, common in Korean sunscreens and primers. It stays on the skin surface and is graded low concern in published assessments.

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

Tea tree oil is used for its antimicrobial reputation in blemish-focused products, but it is a genuine, well-documented contact sensitizer, and its allergy potential rises sharply once the oil has oxidized from air exposure. Fresh, well-preserved, low-concentration formulations are much lower risk than old or improperly stored oil.

A biodegradable chelating agent that binds trace metals to stabilize formulas, often chosen as a gentler alternative to EDTA. It is readily degraded in the environment and poses minimal toxicity concerns at cosmetic concentrations.

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.