Powermatte Lip Pigment - American Woman

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

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

Trimethylsiloxysilicate is a silicone resin built from trimethylsiloxy and silicate units, used in makeup and skin and hair products to form a light, flexible film that adds body, wear, and a soft-focus finish. CIR's expert panel reviewed clinical and animal data on this and related silylates and concluded the ingredient is safe as used, provided the finished product is formulated so it isn't irritating to the eyes or respiratory tract when it's inhaled as a fine powder or aerosol.

Hydrogenated Polycyclopentadiene is a synthetic hydrocarbon resin used in small amounts in mascara, lip products, and depilatory waxes to give a formula body and hold. It is described as chemically inert with negligible skin absorption, and it falls within a CIR review of related polyene and hydrocarbon polymers, though published ingredient specific irritation or sensitization data is thin compared to more heavily studied cosmetic polymers.

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 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 silane used to improve texture and conditioning properties in leave-on cosmetics. It is hydrolyzed during formulation and creates silicone-like benefits; well tolerated at standard use levels.

Propylene carbonate is a small, high-boiling solvent used to dissolve other ingredients and thin out formulas in products like lipstick, eyeshadow, and mascara. Undiluted material caused moderate skin irritation in testing, but at the concentrations actually used in finished products (generally under 20%), CIR's panel found it at most moderately irritating and reaffirmed it safe as used, with no meaningful sensitization or photoirritation seen.

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.

This branched hydrocarbon is one of the isoparaffins the CIR Expert Panel reviewed and found safe as used in cosmetics, including as an emollient in leave-on face creams. It is generally considered non-comedogenic and used mainly to give a lightweight, non-greasy skin feel.

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

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.

Ethyl Vanillin is a synthetic flavor and fragrance ingredient that supplies a stronger vanilla-like scent than vanillin itself, used in fragranced skincare, lip products, candles, and other personal care items. Animal skin-sensitization testing (a mouse local lymph node assay) found no sensitizing potential up to 50% concentration, but as with any added fragrance material, people who already react to fragrance ingredients in general may still want to patch test first. It is a distinct molecule from vanillin, which the EU added to its expanded fragrance-allergen labeling list in 2023; ethyl vanillin itself is not on that list.

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