ColorStay Flex Wear Full Cover Concealer

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

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.

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

PEG/PPG-18/18 dimethicone is a silicone modified with polyethylene and polypropylene glycol chains, which lets it act as a co-emulsifier that holds water droplets inside a silicone base, useful for long-wearing liquid foundations and other water-in-silicone formulas. CIR's expert panel reviewed dimethicone copolyols as a group and concluded this ingredient is safe as used up to 10%.

A polyol ester emulsifier that stabilizes water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions with minimal irritation. Like other polyglyceryl esters, it is valued for its mildness and is used across a range of skincare and color cosmetics.

Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone is a silicone backbone capped with polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol chains, added to formulas to help water and silicone oils blend into one stable product. It works as an emulsifier and skin-feel conditioner rather than an active ingredient. CIR has reviewed the broader group of PEG/PPG-modified (alkoxylated) polysiloxanes this ingredient belongs to and did not flag a specific safety concern, though this exact ingredient has not been the subject of its own standalone report.

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.

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 long-chain alkyl ester derived from behenic acid, used to condition and thicken cosmetic formulations. Available evidence from cosmetic use shows minimal sensitization potential.

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.

A glycol used very widely in Korean and Western skincare as a lightweight humectant, solvent, and gentle preservative-booster, often in place of traditional preservatives. It has a low reported irritation rate at use levels and is graded low concern in published assessments.

A fast-evaporating solvent used to carry actives and give toners a light, "clean" feel; at the concentrations used in classic astringents it can be genuinely drying or irritating with repeated use, especially on dry or compromised skin, though it is not inherently toxic and is a normal, well-studied cosmetic ingredient.

An inert mineral oxide used as a filler and opacifying agent in color cosmetics. It is an FDA-approved colorant with a well-established safety record in cosmetic formulations.

A naturally occurring mineral used as a powder filler to impart smoothness and soft-focus texture in cosmetics. It is inert, non-absorbed, and poses no known irritation or sensitization concerns at cosmetic use levels.

Caprylyl glycol is a plant-derived humectant that also has mild antimicrobial properties, so it is commonly paired with other preservatives to allow lower overall preservative levels. Available data do not point to meaningful irritation or sensitization concerns at typical use levels.

Dimethiconol is a silicone emollient closely related to dimethicone, used to add slip and a smooth finish to creams and serums. It shares dimethicone's long-standing safety record and is considered non-sensitizing and non-comedogenic in typical use.

A silicone-based resin that provides a smooth, velvety finish in primers and foundations. Silicones of this type are non-comedogenic and well tolerated by most skin types when used in cosmetic formulas.

An acrylic crosspolymer used to thicken and stabilize cosmetic products. Established use in cosmetics indicates minimal skin irritation potential at typical formulation 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 humectant that holds water at the skin surface for a more hydrated look. No safety concern.

A derived emulsifier made from sorbitol and oleic acid, used to help blend oil and water-based ingredients. Sorbitan esters are assessed as safe in cosmetics by the CIR, though people with sensitive skin or known sensitivities to oleic acid should patch test before broad application.

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 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.

A low-viscosity cyclic silicone used in primers and lightweight cosmetics for smooth application. It is inert and well tolerated on the skin without identified safety concerns.

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