Effaclar Duo+M Multi-Target Acne Treatment

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

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

A mineral thickener and anti-caking agent widely used in sunscreens and cosmetics to control texture and prevent ingredient separation. CIR has reviewed silica in cosmetic use and found no basis for concern at the levels used topically.

A synthetic polymer thickener derived from acrylic compounds and the amino acid taurine. It is used at low concentrations to adjust viscosity and is graded low concern in safety assessments with no reported sensitization at typical cosmetic use levels.

An emulsifier made from cetyl alcohol and phosphoric acid, used to create stable creams with light conditioning properties. Well tolerated in finished products at cosmetic concentrations.

An olive-oil-derived emulsifier, almost always paired with cetearyl olivate, that holds water and oil together and leaves a light skin-like finish. It is well tolerated and graded low concern in published assessments.

Zinc PCA is a zinc salt of a naturally occurring skin humectant, used mainly to help regulate oil and support a balanced skin microbiome in oily or acne-prone formulas. It has a long history of use with no significant reported irritation, though dedicated cosmetic-specific review data is thinner than for more common ingredients.

A common emulsifier and texture-softener made from glycerin and stearic acid. CIR review of this class found no evidence of reproductive, carcinogenic, sensitizing, or phototoxic effects in the studies examined.

This branched hydrocarbon is one of the isoparaffins the CIR Expert Panel reviewed and found safe as used in cosmetics, including as an emollient in leave-on face creams. It is generally considered non-comedogenic and used mainly to give a lightweight, non-greasy skin feel.

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 corn-derived solvent and humectant that has largely replaced propylene glycol in "clean" formulas; CIR reviewed the alkane diol group and found use concentrations up to about 40 percent in leave-on products like deodorant sticks with no meaningful irritation signal.

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.

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

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 starch derivative used in cosmetics to thicken formulations and improve texture. It has been used safely in food and cosmetics for decades and shows low irritation potential across rinse-off and leave-on products.

Xanthan gum is a microbial-fermentation-derived polysaccharide used to thicken and stabilize textures, similarly common in food. Cosmetic panel review of this and related microbial gums found them safe as used, with no meaningful irritation signal at typical concentrations.

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 synthetic surfactant and emulsifier that blends oils and water in cosmetics and has been used safely for decades in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Published safety literature is extensive and reassuring at cosmetic levels.

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.