Dream Matte Mousse Foundation

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

A stable, saturated version of squalene, a lipid the skin already produces, now usually sourced from olives or sugarcane instead of shark liver. It is very well tolerated across skin types and helps reinforce the skin barrier.

A crosslinked silicone polymer that creates a velvety texture in primers and powders. The crosslinked structure does not change its safety profile, and it is inert and well tolerated.

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.

A silicone-based powder used to improve texture and slip in formulas. It is lightweight, absorbs excess moisture, and provides smooth application. Well studied in cosmetics with no skin safety concerns.

An acrylic crosspolymer used to thicken and stabilize cosmetic products. Established use in cosmetics indicates minimal skin irritation potential at typical formulation levels.

Silica dimethyl silylate is silica that has been surface-treated with a dimethyl coating so it disperses more easily into oils; it's used as an anti-caking and thickening agent that keeps pressed powders from clumping and helps other ingredients stay evenly suspended. CIR reviewed it together with other silylates and surface-modified silicas and concluded it's safe as used, so long as the finished product is formulated to avoid irritating the eyes or respiratory tract.

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

A silicone with phenyl groups that provides conditioning and a refined feel in foundations and color cosmetics. It is inert and well tolerated across skin types.

An amino acid derived emulsifier made from stearic acid and glutamic acid that is increasingly used in natural and clean formulations. It is mild, biodegradable, and presents no known safety concerns for cosmetic use.

A silicone with vinyl groups used in long-wear primers and foundations for enhanced adherence and smoothness. It is inert and well tolerated at cosmetic concentrations.

A preservative that keeps products free of mold and bacteria. Reviewed repeatedly and considered safe at the low levels used.

An inert mineral powder used as a filler and white base for color cosmetics. It is not the same as the antiperspirant aluminum compounds that trigger health concerns. Well tolerated and FDA-approved for cosmetic use.

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 member of the paraben family used to prevent microbial growth in cosmetics. Like methylparaben, it has been reviewed extensively and found safe at the concentrations used in leave-on and rinse-off products.