Make My Day Shampoo

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

A foaming cleansing agent from the same sulfate family as sodium lauryl and laureth sulfate. Like its relatives it can be drying or irritating at high concentration or with prolonged contact, especially on already-compromised skin, but at the levels and rinse-off use typical of shampoos and body washes it is considered safe.

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 coconut-derived amphoteric surfactant used to boost foam and mildness in cleansers and shampoos. CIR has reviewed it as safe as used, but it is one of the more established contact-allergy triggers in personal care, usually traced to manufacturing impurities such as amidoamine and dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) rather than the betaine itself. People with a history of eyelid or scalp dermatitis are more likely to react.

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

A light, fast-absorbing emollient that improves spreadability and gives a silky finish without grease. It is well tolerated and graded low concern in published assessments.

A synthetic polymer used to form a water-resistant film and keep chemical UV filters evenly suspended in sunscreen lotions. It is not absorbed through skin and CIR has not flagged it as a safety concern in cosmetic use.

Another sugar-and-fatty-alcohol derived non-ionic surfactant, structurally close to coco-glucoside but made from a shorter (decyl, C10) fatty chain. It is a gentle cleanser generally well tolerated, though a small number of contact-allergy case reports exist, mostly in people with pre-existing skin conditions.

A modified guar gum used to thicken and stabilize emulsions and gels. It is derived from guar beans and is well tolerated when applied topically. It is common in skincare formulas where a smooth texture is valued.

A more stable, esterified form of vitamin E used as an antioxidant and skin-conditioning ingredient. It is a different substance from the vitamin E acetate implicated in vaping-related lung injury, which involved inhaling the oil, not applying it topically to skin.

A plant-derived emollient and emulsifier made from glycerin and oleic acid, typically from olives or canola. Softens skin while stabilizing oil-water formulas; well tolerated at typical use levels.

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 mild non-ionic cleansing agent made from coconut fatty alcohols and plant sugars (glucose). It is widely used in sulfate-free shampoos and gentle cleansers and is one of the least irritating surfactants in common use.

A protein fragment from rice that helps bind water and strengthen hair. It is mild and well tolerated, making it a suitable option for those seeking a plant-derived protein conditioner without the allergen concerns of wheat or other grain proteins.

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.

A naturally occurring acid used to preserve and adjust pH in cosmetic formulas. It is generally recognized as safe at cosmetic use levels, with mild irritation possible on broken or very sensitive skin at higher concentrations.

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

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.

The sodium salt of benzoic acid, used as a preservative in both foods and cosmetics. Decades of safety review support its use at typical cosmetic concentrations, with mild irritation the main reported issue in sensitive skin.

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

Methylchloroisothiazolinone is typically used together with methylisothiazolinone in a 3:1 mix and is a well-documented skin sensitizer at higher rates than most preservatives. EU rules now restrict this combination to rinse-off products only, at a low maximum concentration.

The simplest amino acid, naturally present in skin and collagen, commonly used as a humectant to help retain moisture. It has a long history of safe use in cosmetics with no known hazards at typical concentrations.

The sodium salt of lactic acid and a key component of the skin barrier and natural moisturizing factor that attracts water to the skin. It is well established as a safe and effective humectant with no known hazards at cosmetic concentrations.

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 preservative that caused a wave of contact allergy in the 2010s. The EU banned it from leave-on products and tightly limits it in rinse-off ones. A genuine concern, not a myth.

A salt derived from citric acid that buffers pH and prevents metal oxidation in formulas. Widely used in food and cosmetics, it is well tolerated at cosmetic concentrations.