Clean Fresh Skin Milk 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 silicone with phenyl groups that provides conditioning and a refined feel in foundations and color cosmetics. It is inert and well tolerated across skin types.

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.

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

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 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.

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 naturally occurring mineral silicate that adds shimmer and light-diffusing properties to cosmetics. Cosmetic-grade mica is well tolerated and should be free of asbestos and talc contamination.

Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer is the ammonium salt form of an acrylic acid based polymer used to thicken formulas, hold pigment in place, and help mascara or liquid liner form a flexible film once it dries. CIR reviewed the acrylates copolymer family and concluded they are safe in current practices of use, and a 30% concentration of the material tested as practically nonirritating.

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

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

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 glycol used very widely in Korean and Western skincare as a lightweight humectant, solvent, and gentle preservative-booster, often in place of traditional preservatives. It has a low reported irritation rate at use levels and is graded low concern in published assessments.

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.

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

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

A polyethylene glycol ether of lauryl alcohol, used as a mild surfactant and emulsifier in cleansers and other rinse-off products. CIR assessments support the safety of laureth surfactants in cosmetics, and they are often chosen for their mildness.

A rich, solid-at-room-temperature oil that deeply softens dry skin and hair. It is well tolerated overall, but its high lauric acid content is considered comedogenic by many dermatologists, so it can trigger breakouts in people who are acne-prone.

A nutrient-rich carrier oil from soybean seeds containing linoleic and linolenic acids essential for barrier function. Phytoestrogen content is present but not absorbed systemically from topical application, graded low concern by regulatory assessments.

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.

Sodium dehydroacetate is a preservative that fights bacteria and fungi in water-based formulas, typically used alongside other preservatives at up to 0.6% (as the acid) and not permitted in aerosol sprays. CIR's panel has reaffirmed since 1985 that it's safe as used, based on it being practically nonirritating and nonsensitizing across many clinical tests, though the panel has also noted a small number of published hypersensitivity case reports set against very widespread use.

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 higher-molecular-weight polyethylene glycol ester of hydrogenated castor oil, used as an emulsifier in creams, serums, and other formulations. Like other PEG-modified ingredients, published cosmetic safety assessments grade it as safe in rinse-off and leave-on products.

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

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 natural component of skin's own moisturizing system, used at low percentages as a humectant and at higher percentages (10 percent plus) as a mild keratolytic for very dry or rough skin. It can sting broken or eczema-prone skin, especially at higher concentrations.

A soothing, skin-conditioning compound (also found in comfrey root) commonly added to calm and hydrate irritated or sensitive skin. It has a long history of safe use with very low irritation potential.

The sodium salt of lactic acid and a key component of the skin barrier and natural moisturizing factor that attracts water to the skin. It is well established as a safe and effective humectant with no known hazards at cosmetic concentrations.

Sodium PCA is a natural component of skin's own moisturizing factor and is used in cosmetics as a humectant to help skin hold onto water. It has an extensive history of safe use with no meaningful irritation or sensitization signal.

A disaccharide sugar that acts as a humectant, drawing moisture into the skin and helping prevent dryness. It is well tolerated and commonly found in skincare formulas designed to support skin barrier health.

A fragrance component with a mild rose and honey scent, widely used in cosmetics and personal care products. Most people tolerate it without issue, though patch-test studies indicate a minority of individuals with fragrance sensitivities may react to it.

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 simple sugar that functions as a humectant to bind moisture into the stratum corneum and is a component of the natural moisturizing factor. It is well tolerated in cosmetics and has no known sensitization concerns.

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

A linoleic-acid-rich plant oil used as an emollient and, in some small pediatric studies, associated with support of the skin barrier when applied to infant skin. It is well tolerated with a low reported rate of contact reactions.

An aromatic plant extract rich in natural antioxidants, valued in skincare formulations for its protective properties. Published cosmetic assessments indicate it is generally well tolerated, though the botanical origin means some sensitive individuals may react.

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.

A floral fragrance component and one of the EU-labelled fragrance allergens. Usually fine, worth watching if you react to scented products.