ColorStay Makeup Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin

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.

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 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 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 silicone with phenyl groups that provides conditioning and a refined feel in foundations and color cosmetics. It is inert and well tolerated across skin types.

A synthetic polymer used to impart silky texture and film-forming properties in skincare. Nylon particles remain on the surface and do not penetrate or absorb systemically, with a long history of safe use in cosmetics.

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

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.

Bisabolol is a botanically derived (or synthetically nature-identical) compound used for its calming, anti-irritant reputation in sensitive-skin formulas. Safety reviews and long clinical use have found it well tolerated with a low rate of reported reactions.

An ester of palmitic acid and ethylhexanol, commonly used as an emollient and skin-conditioning agent. It is well studied and well tolerated in cosmetics.

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

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 polyethylene glycol ether of lauryl alcohol, used as a mild surfactant and emulsifier in cleansers and other rinse-off products. CIR assessments support the safety of laureth surfactants in cosmetics, and they are often chosen for their mildness.

A mineral salt used in cosmetics as a humectant and antioxidant. It is the same compound used in food and personal care products, and is well tolerated in both rinse-off and leave-on formulations.

A mineral thickener and anti-caking agent widely used in sunscreens and cosmetics to control texture and prevent ingredient separation. CIR has reviewed silica in cosmetic use and found no basis for concern at the levels used topically.

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.

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

A salt derived from citric acid that buffers pH and prevents metal oxidation in formulas. Widely used in food and cosmetics, it is well tolerated at cosmetic concentrations.

A light, low-odor glycol used as a solvent and humectant, extremely common in Korean toners and essences. It has a low reported irritation rate and is graded low concern in published assessments.

Silica dimethyl silylate is silica that has been surface-treated with a dimethyl coating so it disperses more easily into oils; it's used as an anti-caking and thickening agent that keeps pressed powders from clumping and helps other ingredients stay evenly suspended. CIR reviewed it together with other silylates and surface-modified silicas and concluded it's safe as used, so long as the finished product is formulated to avoid irritating the eyes or respiratory tract.

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.

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.

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.

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

A preservative that keeps products free of mold and bacteria. Reviewed repeatedly and considered safe at the low levels used.