Nutritive Fondant Magistral

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

A modified starch derived from corn or potatoes, used to thicken and stabilize skincare formulas. It is inert, non-irritating, and has been used in cosmetics for decades without recorded safety concerns.

A preservative that works by slowly releasing small amounts of formaldehyde to keep microbes from growing in the product. It is a well-documented contact allergen for a subset of users, which is why formaldehyde releasers are worth knowing about even though most people tolerate them fine.

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

A fatty alcohol derived from stearic acid that thickens creams and gives them a smooth, non-greasy glide. It is one of the fatty alcohols the CIR panel reviewed together and found safe as used, with a very low reported rate of contact sensitization.

A quaternary ammonium conditioning agent that coats hair with a positive charge to smooth the cuticle, cut static, and ease detangling; it is one of the most common conditioning ingredients in rinse-off conditioners. CIR reviewed it as part of the trimonium family and found it safe as used, including in leave-on formulas at typical concentrations.

A small humectant and solvent molecule that helps other ingredients dissolve and helps skin hold water. It is one of the most studied cosmetic ingredients and is considered safe at the concentrations used in personal care products.

A silicone-based polymer with amino groups that deposits on hair to provide conditioning and smoothing benefits. It is extensively used in hair care products with a long track record of safe use in rinse-off formulations.

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

A plant-derived wax extracted from the Euphorbia cerifera shrub native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. It provides emollient and thickening benefits and has a long history of traditional use with no documented sensitization or irritation concerns at typical cosmetic concentrations.

A fast-evaporating solvent used to carry actives and create a light, quick-drying texture in toners and washes. At the concentrations used in rinse-off and brief-contact formulas, it has a well-established safety record, though repeated contact with high-concentration formulas can be drying.

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 jasmine-like fragrance compound frequently used in soaps and lotions. It is one of the 26 EU-designated fragrance allergens, though studies suggest its sensitization potency is comparatively low relative to other listed allergens.

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 plant-derived emollient and emulsifier made from glycerin and oleic acid, typically from olives or canola. Softens skin while stabilizing oil-water formulas; well tolerated at typical use levels.

A naturally occurring mineral used as a powder filler to impart smoothness and soft-focus texture in cosmetics. It is inert, non-absorbed, and poses no known irritation or sensitization concerns at cosmetic use levels.

A rose-scented fragrance ingredient found naturally in geranium and rose oil. It is one of the 26 fragrance allergens the EU requires to be labeled by name because a minority of people develop skin sensitization to it, though most users tolerate it without issue.

Alpha-isomethyl ionone is a violet-scented fragrance material and one of the EU-listed allergens requiring label disclosure. Documented sensitization is more common with this ingredient than with many other listed fragrance allergens.

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.

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 larger, gentler alpha hydroxy acid than glycolic acid, used to exfoliate and to draw in moisture. It can still cause stinging or increased sun sensitivity at higher concentrations, so daytime SPF use is sensible, but it is generally better tolerated than glycolic acid.

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

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.

A salt derived from citric acid that buffers pH and prevents metal oxidation in formulas. Widely used in food and cosmetics, it is well tolerated at cosmetic 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.