Aqua Base Ultra Protection Facial Sunscreen SPF50 Pa++++

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

An organic UV-B filter that also stabilizes other sunscreen actives like avobenzone. The EU SCCS reviewed it and concluded it is safe at current use levels, though rare contact allergy has been reported and older, degraded product may form small amounts of benzophenone.

A mild UVB chemical filter usually used to help dissolve and stabilize other sunscreen actives. It has a long OTC history at US-approved levels with a low rate of reported irritation.

A widely used organic UV-A filter in sunscreens. It can lose effectiveness in sunlight unless paired with photostabilizers, but safety reviews have not found it to pose a meaningful health hazard at approved use levels.

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

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 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 broad-spectrum organic UV filter used widely in European and international sunscreens. Approved by the EU and other regulators as safe at cosmetic levels.

A broad-spectrum organic UV filter that absorbs both UVB and UVA and also stabilizes other sunscreen filters. The EU SCCS reviewed both the standard and nano particle-size forms and concluded it does not pose a risk to consumers on healthy, intact skin at up to 10 percent, citing negligible skin penetration due to particle size.

A soothing humectant that helps skin and hair look conditioned. Very well tolerated.

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

A widely used emulsifier and solubilizer that has been in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals for decades. The CIR has assessed it as safe with no known concerns at typical cosmetic concentrations. As with any surfactant, some people with very sensitive skin may experience mild irritation.

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 mineral UV filter and white pigment used in sunscreens and makeup. It sits on the skin surface rather than being absorbed, and major regulators consider it safe for topical cosmetic use.

A PEG-based emulsifier that blends oils and water in formulas. It is a workhorse ingredient in stable emulsions and is approved for cosmetic use. Well tolerated.

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 glycerin derivative used as a skin conditioner and preservative booster, often paired with phenoxyethanol to allow lower total preservative levels. It has a low irritation and sensitization profile in safety reviews.

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

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.