Lash Idole Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara

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

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.

This is a film-forming polymer built from styrene, ammonium methacrylate, and an acrylic or methacrylic acid monomer, used to lay down a flexible, water-resistant film that helps hold hair styles, sets nail polish, or extends makeup wear. CIR reviewed it within its broad acrylates copolymer family and found no evidence of a safety concern in current cosmetic use; the starting monomers have their own toxicology, but the finished, polymerized copolymer is considered safe when formulated to avoid irritation.

A natural wax secreted by honeybees, used as an emollient and texture builder in balms and salves. It is generally well tolerated. People with bee or pollen allergies should patch test, as rare sensitization has been documented.

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%.

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.

A fatty alcohol used to soften skin and stabilize creams. Despite the name, it does not dry the skin.

This is a polyamide gelling agent formed from ethylenediamine and dimer dilinoleic acid and end-capped with stearyl groups, used to thicken and structure the oil phase in products like mascara and anhydrous sun creams. It has not had its own CIR safety review, but the closely related family of dimer dilinoleate esters built on the same fatty diacid backbone has been reviewed and found safe in cosmetic use, and as a large, oil-soluble polymer it is not expected to penetrate skin.

A plant-derived wax from carnauba palm leaves, widely used in cosmetics to provide texture and protective film-forming properties. Extensively documented as safe for topical use.

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 saturated fatty acid found in palm oil and naturally in the skin, used as an emollient to soften and condition skin. It is one of the most studied fatty acids and is well tolerated.

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.

Green tea extract is a well-studied topical antioxidant with a long history of use in serums and moisturizers, generally well tolerated at cosmetic concentrations. Panel safety reviews of Camellia sinensis-derived ingredients have not identified meaningful topical hazard.

A highly refined, inert petroleum-derived emollient that has been used in cosmetics and skincare for over a century. It creates a protective moisture barrier on the skin and is well tolerated by the vast majority of users, with minimal risk of irritation or sensitization.

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

A common foaming cleanser, milder than SLS. Fine for most people in a rinse-off product.

A saturated fatty acid used as an emollient and texture ingredient in creams and formulations. It is well tolerated and commonly used at safe concentrations.

A buffering agent used in small amounts to maintain or adjust the pH of formulas to keep them skin-friendly. It is not added as an active ingredient but to keep the product at a safe and stable pH level.

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 cellulose derivative used to thicken and stabilize formulas. It dissolves fully in water and does not separate or settle over time. It is well tolerated and widely used in gels, lotions, and serums.

A lightweight, odorless emollient made by combining coconut or palm-derived fatty acids with glycerin. It spreads easily, feels non-greasy, and has a long history of use in skin and hair products with no meaningful irritation or sensitization 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.

Tetrasodium EDTA is a chelating agent that binds trace metal ions to keep formulas stable and help preservatives work better. It has circulated online as a supposed "toxic" additive, but decades of safety review support its use at cosmetic concentrations.

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.

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 synthetic antioxidant approved in the EU and used at low levels to prevent product degradation and extend shelf life. Not absorbed through skin and presents no safety concern in cosmetic formulations.

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

Mineral pigments used to add color to cosmetics. Iron oxides are FDA-approved colorants with a well-established safety record in cosmetic formulations.