All Soft Conditioner

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

A blend of cetyl and stearyl fatty alcohols used to thicken lotions and soften skin. It is chemically unrelated to drying alcohols like ethanol, and the CIR expert panel has found fatty alcohols safe as used in cosmetics.

A quaternary ammonium conditioning agent that coats hair with a positive charge to smooth the cuticle, cut static, and ease detangling; it is one of the most common conditioning ingredients in rinse-off conditioners. CIR reviewed it as part of the trimonium family and found it safe as used, including in leave-on formulas at typical concentrations.

A fatty alcohol used to soften skin and stabilize creams. Despite the name, it does not dry the skin.

A fast-evaporating solvent used to carry actives and create a light, quick-drying texture in toners and washes. At the concentrations used in rinse-off and brief-contact formulas, it has a well-established safety record, though repeated contact with high-concentration formulas can be drying.

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

A cationic conditioning agent used in rinse-off products like shampoos and conditioners to provide softness and detangling. Generally well tolerated but can cause irritation at high concentrations in some individuals.

A fatty alcohol emollient that softens and conditions skin. The CIR Expert Panel concluded it is safe as used in cosmetics, with this determination originally made in 1985 and reaffirmed in 2006.

Sodium PCA is a natural component of skin's own moisturizing factor and is used in cosmetics as a humectant to help skin hold onto water. It has an extensive history of safe use with no meaningful irritation or sensitization signal.

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.

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

A fatty alcohol derived from stearic acid that thickens creams and gives them a smooth, non-greasy glide. It is one of the fatty alcohols the CIR panel reviewed together and found safe as used, with a very low reported rate of contact sensitization.

A fatty alcohol used as an emollient and emulsifier in creams and lotions. Despite the name, it does not dry the skin and is well tolerated at cosmetic concentrations.

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 fatty-acid and tocopherol-rich plant oil used as a hair and skin emollient; CIR's review of plant-derived fatty acid oils found no evidence of irritation or sensitization and a long history of safe use in food and cosmetics.

A basic amino acid naturally found in skin that draws moisture into the stratum corneum. It is well tolerated in cosmetics at typical concentrations and has been used safely in skincare formulations for decades.

A plant-derived protein hydrolyzate that functions as a humectant and skin conditioning agent. While generally well tolerated, those with soy sensitivities or allergies should be cautious, as protein hydrolyzates may retain antigenic properties.

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.

Tetrasodium EDTA is a chelating agent that binds trace metal ions to keep formulas stable and help preservatives work better. It has circulated online as a supposed "toxic" additive, but decades of safety review support its use 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.