Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation

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

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

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

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 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 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 silicone emulsifier combining polyethylene glycol and dimethicone to help blend water and oil phases in serums and primers. Limited but consistent data support its safety in cosmetic formulations.

A silicone-based conditioning agent that adds smoothness and soft feel to formulas. Silicones in cosmetics are not absorbed by the skin and rinse cleanly, making them well-tolerated for most users.

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

Ordinary salt, used in surfactant-based products like shampoos and body washes to adjust viscosity by interacting with the surfactant micelles. It has no meaningful toxicity concern at cosmetic use levels; the main practical downside is that too much can make a formula feel less mild.

A polyol ester emulsifier that stabilizes water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions with minimal irritation. Like other polyglyceryl esters, it is valued for its mildness and is used across a range of skincare and color cosmetics.

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.

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 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 rich plant butter pressed from shea tree nuts, valued for softening and cushioning dry skin. It is generally well tolerated, though very rare allergic reactions have been reported and people with tree nut allergies who are cautious may want to patch test first.

An ester of palmitic acid and ethylhexanol, commonly used as an emollient and skin-conditioning agent. It is well studied and well tolerated in cosmetics.

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.

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 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.

A humectant that holds water at the skin surface for a more hydrated look. No safety concern.

This small glycol is used to thin out formulas and help preservatives work better, similar in role to propylene glycol and butylene glycol already in wide use. Industry and EU safety reviewers have set purity and concentration conditions for its use rather than restricting it outright, and no consumer-relevant hazard has been established at typical cosmetic levels.

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 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 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.

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