ScandalEyes Reloaded Mascara

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

A natural wax secreted by honeybees, used as an emollient and texture builder in balms and salves. It is generally well tolerated. People with bee or pollen allergies should patch test, as rare sensitization has been documented.

Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer is the ammonium salt form of an acrylic acid based polymer used to thicken formulas, hold pigment in place, and help mascara or liquid liner form a flexible film once it dries. CIR reviewed the acrylates copolymer family and concluded they are safe in current practices of use, and a 30% concentration of the material tested as practically nonirritating.

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.

VP/eicosene copolymer is a synthetic polymer of vinylpyrrolidone and the hydrocarbon eicosene, used as a film former and dispersant in sunscreens, hairsprays, and lipsticks to help the product cling to skin or hair and hold up against water and humidity. CIR reviewed it as part of a broader group of vinylpyrrolidone polymers and found no evidence of irritation, sensitization, or other safety signal at the concentrations reported in use.

A plant-derived wax from carnauba palm leaves, widely used in cosmetics to provide texture and protective film-forming properties. Extensively documented as safe for topical use.

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

A widely used emulsifier and solubilizer that has been in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals for decades. The CIR has assessed it as safe with no known concerns at typical cosmetic concentrations. As with any surfactant, some people with very sensitive skin may experience mild irritation.

Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer is a synthetic polymer used as a film former, binder, and emulsion stabilizer, most often in mascara and other wear-resistant makeup. It has not had a dedicated cosmetic safety review, but the same copolymer family has long-standing FDA clearance for direct food-contact use under strict extractable-substance limits, which is consistent with a low-migration, largely inert material at the film-forming molecular weights used in cosmetics.

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 emulsifier made from cetyl alcohol and phosphoric acid, used to create stable creams with light conditioning properties. Well tolerated in finished products at cosmetic concentrations.

A synthetic polymer used to form a water-resistant film and keep chemical UV filters evenly suspended in sunscreen lotions. It is not absorbed through skin and CIR has not flagged it as a safety concern in cosmetic use.

A naturally occurring fatty acid (also made in the body and found in many foods) used to thicken lotions and help stabilize cleansing bars. It is one of the most well-studied emollient ingredients and is not a meaningful irritant at cosmetic use levels.

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

A soothing humectant that helps skin and hair look conditioned. Very well tolerated.

A buffering agent used in small amounts to maintain or adjust the pH of formulas to keep them skin-friendly. It is not added as an active ingredient but to keep the product at a safe and stable pH level.

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 cellulose derivative used to thicken and stabilize formulas. It dissolves fully in water and does not separate or settle over time. It is well tolerated and widely used in gels, lotions, and serums.

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 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 chelating agent that binds trace metal ions to keep formulas stable and preservatives working properly. It is not a functional skincare "active" and only a very small amount is used, with minimal skin penetration expected.

Sodium dehydroacetate is a preservative that fights bacteria and fungi in water-based formulas, typically used alongside other preservatives at up to 0.6% (as the acid) and not permitted in aerosol sprays. CIR's panel has reaffirmed since 1985 that it's safe as used, based on it being practically nonirritating and nonsensitizing across many clinical tests, though the panel has also noted a small number of published hypersensitivity case reports set against very widespread use.

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

A protein fragment derived from animal keratin that helps hair retain moisture and improves strength and shine. It is well tolerated across hair types and does not carry the allergen risk of plant-derived hydrolyzed proteins.

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.

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 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.