All Soft 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.

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

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.

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 silicone-based polymer with amino groups that deposits on hair to provide conditioning and smoothing benefits. It is extensively used in hair care products with a long track record of safe use in rinse-off formulations.

Carbomer is a synthetic polymer used purely to thicken and stabilize gels and lotions, with negligible skin penetration due to its large molecular size. Safety reviews have found low toxicity and minimal irritation potential even in leave-on use.

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

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

This small glycol is used to thin out formulas and help preservatives work better, similar in role to propylene glycol and butylene glycol already in wide use. Industry and EU safety reviewers have set purity and concentration conditions for its use rather than restricting it outright, and no consumer-relevant hazard has been established at typical cosmetic levels.

A wax-like ester of ethylene glycol and stearic acid used purely to thicken shampoo/conditioner and give it a pearly opaque look; it has no cleansing or active role. CIR found it non-sensitizing and non-irritating even at high test concentrations, and decades of manufacturer exposure data show no reported health effects.

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

A naturally occurring mineral silicate that adds shimmer and light-diffusing properties to cosmetics. Cosmetic-grade mica is well tolerated and should be free of asbestos and talc contamination.

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

A gentle surfactant derived from stearyl alcohol and ethylene oxide. It is used to stabilize emulsions and is well tolerated in rinse-off and leave-on formulas. Approved for cosmetic use.

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 common preservative and fragrance/solvent ingredient found naturally in many essential oils. It is well tolerated by most people at the levels used in cosmetics, but it is one of the 26 EU-designated fragrance allergens and can trigger reactions in people with an existing sensitivity.

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 sweet, hay-like fragrance ingredient naturally found in tonka bean and lavender. It is one of the 26 EU-designated fragrance allergens and is also subject to an EU maximum concentration limit in finished cosmetic products.

A floral fragrance component and one of the EU-labelled fragrance allergens. Usually fine, worth watching if you react to scented products.

A fragrance fixative and solvent found naturally in balsams and used to help scents last longer. It is one of the 26 EU-designated fragrance allergens, with documented but uncommon contact sensitization.

A jasmine-like fragrance compound frequently used in soaps and lotions. It is one of the 26 EU-designated fragrance allergens, though studies suggest its sensitization potency is comparatively low relative to other listed allergens.

A citrus-scented fragrance component. Fine for most, but it oxidizes over time into a known contact allergen, so it must be labelled in the EU.

A plant-derived water or extract used mainly as a soothing humectant filler. Evidence for dramatic skin benefits beyond mild hydration and soothing is limited, but it is well tolerated by most people.

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.

A brown colorant made by heating sugars, used to add color to cosmetics. It is FDA-approved and well established in food and cosmetics with a long history of safe use.

A larger, gentler alpha hydroxy acid than glycolic acid, used to exfoliate and to draw in moisture. It can still cause stinging or increased sun sensitivity at higher concentrations, so daytime SPF use is sensible, but it is generally better tolerated than glycolic acid.

A simple sugar that functions as a humectant to bind moisture into the stratum corneum and is a component of the natural moisturizing factor. It is well tolerated in cosmetics and has no known sensitization concerns.

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.

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 small-dose synthetic antioxidant that prevents oils and fragrance in a formula from oxidizing. Not shown to pose a toxicological risk at the levels used in cosmetics.

An antioxidant that helps protect a formula and condition skin. Well tolerated.

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.