Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, Fair to Medium

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

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

A blend of cetyl and stearyl fatty alcohols used to thicken lotions and soften skin. It is chemically unrelated to drying alcohols like ethanol, and the CIR expert panel has found fatty alcohols safe as used in cosmetics.

A time-tested occlusive that seals in moisture and helps damaged skin heal, widely used in dermatology for wound care. Cosmetic-grade petrolatum must meet purity standards that remove the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in crude sources, and it is considered one of the most effective and well-studied barrier ingredients available.

A highly refined, purified oil that forms a light protective layer to slow water loss from skin. Cosmetic-grade mineral oil goes through purification steps that remove the contaminants associated with crude petroleum, and CIR has found it safe as used.

A PEG-type emulsifier (ethoxylated cetearyl alcohol) that helps blend the water and oil parts of a cream. CIR concluded ceteareth ingredients are safe as used, with the one caveat that they are not meant for broken or damaged skin.

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

Finely milled oat that the FDA recognizes as an over-the-counter skin protectant for temporary relief of minor itching and dryness. Well tolerated, including on eczema-prone skin, with rare contact allergy in people with pre-existing oat or cereal sensitivity.

Technically a liquid wax ester rather than a true oil, jojoba closely resembles skin's own sebum and absorbs without feeling greasy. It is well tolerated across skin types, including acne-prone skin, with no significant irritation or comedogenicity signal in the available data.

Calendula extract is a traditional soothing botanical used in balms and after-sun formulas with a generally reassuring safety history. Like chamomile, it is part of the Asteraceae family, so cross-reactive contact allergy is possible for people already sensitive to ragweed or related plants.

Cold-pressed oil from olive fruit, valued as a carrier and emollient in skincare formulas. Well tolerated across skin types and delivers fatty acids that support skin barrier integrity.

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

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 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 crosslinked acrylic polymer that thickens and stabilizes formulations. Published assessments show it to be well tolerated at cosmetic use levels, with no evidence of penetration into viable skin layers or systemic absorption.

A preservative that keeps products free of mold and bacteria. Reviewed repeatedly and considered safe at the low levels used.

A member of the paraben family used to prevent microbial growth in cosmetics. Like methylparaben, it has been reviewed extensively and found safe at the concentrations used in leave-on and rinse-off products.

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

A chelating agent that binds trace metal ions to keep formulas stable and preservatives working properly. It is not a functional skincare "active" and only a very small amount is used, with minimal skin penetration expected.

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 preservative that works by slowly releasing small amounts of formaldehyde to control microbial growth. This makes it an effective preservative, but people with a known formaldehyde or fragrance-type sensitivity may develop irritation or an allergic reaction, especially with prolonged use of leave-on products.

A small-dose synthetic antioxidant that prevents oils and fragrance in a formula from oxidizing. Not shown to pose a toxicological risk at the levels used in cosmetics.

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.

A brown colorant made by heating sugars, used to add color to cosmetics. It is FDA-approved and well established in food and cosmetics with a long history of safe use.

A mineral UV filter and white pigment used in sunscreens and makeup. It sits on the skin surface rather than being absorbed, and major regulators consider it safe for topical cosmetic use.

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.