Retinol Treatment 0.5%

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

A lightweight, odorless emollient made by combining coconut or palm-derived fatty acids with glycerin. It spreads easily, feels non-greasy, and has a long history of use in skin and hair products with no meaningful irritation or sensitization signal.

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

A vitamin A derivative used for the look of lines and texture. Effective but can irritate and increases sun sensitivity; usually advised against in pregnancy.

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 synthetic surfactant widely used to emulsify oils and water in cosmetics. It is well tolerated and has been used safely in cosmetic formulations for decades.

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

A phospholipid emulsifier from soy or sunflower that binds water and oil and helps other ingredients absorb. It is a natural component of skin membranes, well tolerated, and reviewed as safe as used; a soy-derived grade is not a meaningful concern for a soy food allergy because the protein is largely absent.

A polyethylene glycol ester of hydrogenated castor oil, widely used as an emulsifier and solvent in rinse-off and leave-on cosmetics. PEG-modified ingredients are graded as safe in cosmetics by the CIR when formulated at typical use levels.

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

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, 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.

A synthetic surfactant and emulsifier that blends oils and water in cosmetics and has been used safely for decades in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Published safety literature is extensive and reassuring at cosmetic levels.

A common emulsifier and texture-softener made from glycerin and stearic acid. CIR review of this class found no evidence of reproductive, carcinogenic, sensitizing, or phototoxic effects in the studies examined.

A long-chain fatty alcohol used to thicken and stabilize creams and soften skin. It is a waxy emollient, not a drying solvent, and is graded low concern in published assessments.

A saturated fatty acid found in palm oil and naturally in the skin, used as an emollient to soften and condition skin. It is one of the most studied fatty acids and is well tolerated.

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

Xanthan gum is a microbial-fermentation-derived polysaccharide used to thicken and stabilize textures, similarly common in food. Cosmetic panel review of this and related microbial gums found them safe as used, with no meaningful irritation signal at typical concentrations.

A crosslinked acrylic polymer that thickens and stabilizes formulations. Published assessments show it to be well tolerated at cosmetic use levels, with no evidence of penetration into viable skin layers or systemic absorption.

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.

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.

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.

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