Infallible Lacquer Eyeliner

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 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 lightweight hydrocarbon that gives formulas a smooth, silky feel. Used in color cosmetics and sunscreens. Well tolerated and inert.

A refined mineral wax used to firm up ointment and balm texture and help form an occlusive barrier alongside petrolatum. Highly refined cosmetic-grade mineral waxes have long been reviewed as inert at the concentrations used in personal care products.

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.

Silica silylate is silica surface-treated with trimethylsilyl groups so it feels silkier and disperses better into oil-based formulas; it works as an anti-caking and viscosity-control agent in pressed powders, foundations, and other makeup. CIR reviewed it in the same assessment as silica dimethyl silylate and trimethylsiloxysilicate and concluded it's safe as used, with the same caveat that the finished product should be formulated not to irritate the eyes or respiratory tract.

A quaternized clay mineral used to thicken and suspend products. CIR found it safe as used, though the mineral base means trace amounts of inhalable silica particles exist if the powder form is aerosolized. It is well tolerated in leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics when formulated properly.

A silane used to improve texture and conditioning properties in leave-on cosmetics. It is hydrolyzed during formulation and creates silicone-like benefits; well tolerated at standard use levels.

A mineral powder valued for its absorbent and soft-feel properties in cosmetics. Cosmetic-grade talc is required to be asbestos-free; inhalation risk from topical application is minimal. Generally well tolerated when used as intended.

Synthetic fluorphlogopite is a lab-grown mica look-alike made of layered magnesium aluminum silicate sheets with some fluorine substitution, used as a shimmer and pearlescent base in powders, eyeshadow, and skincare. CIR's expert panel reviewed irritation, sensitization, and genotoxicity data and concluded it's safe as used at reported concentrations up to 67%.

Propylene carbonate is a small, high-boiling solvent used to dissolve other ingredients and thin out formulas in products like lipstick, eyeshadow, and mascara. Undiluted material caused moderate skin irritation in testing, but at the concentrations actually used in finished products (generally under 20%), CIR's panel found it at most moderately irritating and reaffirmed it safe as used, with no meaningful sensitization or photoirritation seen.

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 mineral pigment used to add opacity and soft-focus effects in cosmetics. FDA-approved for cosmetic use and graded low concern in published safety assessments.