Weidenrinden Spezial-Shampoo

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

A common foaming cleanser, milder than SLS. Fine for most people in a rinse-off product.

A coconut-derived, mild foam-boosting surfactant closely related to cocamidopropyl betaine. It is generally well tolerated in rinse-off products but, like its chemical cousin, can occasionally cause contact irritation on already-compromised or very reactive skin.

A beta hydroxy acid used to smooth texture and clear pores. Safe at cosmetic levels; can be mildly irritating if overused.

A synthetic surfactant and emulsifier that blends oils and water in cosmetics and has been used safely for decades in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Published safety literature is extensive and reassuring at cosmetic levels.

A gentle, PEG-based emulsifier and solubilizer that blends sugar and fatty acid derivatives for stable formula incorporation. PEG compounds in cosmetics are non-penetrating and rinse cleanly from the skin.

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

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 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.

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 spicy, clove-derived fragrance and flavor compound. It is one of the 26 EU-designated fragrance allergens because it can trigger contact allergy in sensitized individuals, though CIR review found it safe as typically used in cosmetics.