Monsieur Big Volumizing Mascara

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

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.

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.

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.

Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer is a synthetic polymer used as a film former, binder, and emulsion stabilizer, most often in mascara and other wear-resistant makeup. It has not had a dedicated cosmetic safety review, but the same copolymer family has long-standing FDA clearance for direct food-contact use under strict extractable-substance limits, which is consistent with a low-migration, largely inert material at the film-forming molecular weights used in cosmetics.

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 Beeswax is a manufactured blend of long-chain esters designed to mimic natural beeswax's texture and melting point, used as an emulsion stabilizer and thickener in balms, sticks, and creams. CIR reviewed it alongside other cosmetic waxes and concluded it is safe as used, a conclusion the panel revisited and left unchanged after a later look at additional data.

A complex polyester used as an emollient in cosmetics to soften and protect the skin. Limited published safety data exists, but cosmetic industry use patterns show no significant adverse effects reported.

A synthetic polymer that functions as a lightweight occlusive emollient, providing slip and smoothness to formulations. It is an inert ingredient with no reported sensitization or irritation concerns and is widely used in cosmetic and personal care products.

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

A nonionic emulsifier from the same family as Steareth-2, used to hold oil and water phases together in lotions and roll-on antiperspirants. Well tolerated in rinse-off and leave-on formulas. Approved for cosmetic use.

An ester derived from glycerin and behenic acid, used to thicken formulations and improve texture. Standard cosmetic ingredient with no documented safety concerns.

A gentle surfactant derived from stearyl alcohol and ethylene oxide. It is used to stabilize emulsions and is well tolerated in rinse-off and leave-on formulas. Approved for cosmetic use.

A long-chain alkyl ester derived from behenic acid, used to condition and thicken cosmetic formulations. Available evidence from cosmetic use shows minimal sensitization potential.

A natural, water-soluble polysaccharide gum harvested from the acacia tree, used to thicken and stabilize cosmetic formulations. It has a long history of safe use in personal care products. Very rare contact allergies or sensitivities have been reported in sensitized individuals.

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

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 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 wax ester derived from jojoba oil that closely resembles the skin's own sebum esters, used to soften and smooth skin. Available safety data has not flagged meaningful irritation or sensitization risk at cosmetic use levels.

Hydrogenated Palm Oil is palm oil treated with hydrogen to make it more solid and stable, used as a rich emollient in balms, lipsticks, and creams. CIR's review of palm oil derivatives found no ocular or skin irritation in use testing, noted that fetal effects seen with crude palm oil in animal studies were tied to contaminants rather than the oil itself, and recommended cosmetic grade material be kept low in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination as a precaution.

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.

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.

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 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 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 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.

Sodium dehydroacetate is a preservative that fights bacteria and fungi in water-based formulas, typically used alongside other preservatives at up to 0.6% (as the acid) and not permitted in aerosol sprays. CIR's panel has reaffirmed since 1985 that it's safe as used, based on it being practically nonirritating and nonsensitizing across many clinical tests, though the panel has also noted a small number of published hypersensitivity case reports set against very widespread use.

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.