Nourishing Moisturizer

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

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

A light coconut-derived emollient ester used as a natural-feeling alternative to silicones, giving a dry, velvety finish. It is well tolerated and graded low concern in published assessments.

This branched ester is a CIR-reviewed emollient used to give creams and lotions a silky, fast-absorbing after-feel. It is generally rated non-comedogenic and has not shown irritation or sensitization concerns in the available safety data.

A modified starch derived from corn or potatoes, used to thicken and stabilize skincare formulas. It is inert, non-irritating, and has been used in cosmetics for decades without recorded safety concerns.

A natural, plant-based emulsifier made from cetyl alcohol and glucose that mixes oil and water phases in cosmetics. It is well studied, nonirritating in published testing, and presents no known safety concerns for cosmetic use.

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.

An olive-oil-derived emulsifier, almost always paired with cetearyl olivate, that holds water and oil together and leaves a light skin-like finish. It is well tolerated and graded low concern in published assessments.

A rheology modifier that thickens gels and serums while maintaining a lightweight, non-sticky feel. Provides suspension and stability in water-based formulas. Widely used and well tolerated.

A rich botanical oil from avocado fruit, used to nourish and soften the skin. It is generally well tolerated across skin types and provides conditioning benefits.

A lightweight botanical oil from marula tree seeds, valued for softening and conditioning the skin. It is generally well tolerated across skin types.

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 stable, saturated version of squalene, a lipid the skin already produces, now usually sourced from olives or sugarcane instead of shark liver. It is very well tolerated across skin types and helps reinforce the skin barrier.

A preservative and antioxidant that helps prevent microbial growth and oxidative degradation in formulas. Published assessments support its use at cosmetic levels.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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 synthetic gelling and stabilizing polymer that gives lotions and gels their smooth, cushiony texture. The large molecule stays on the skin surface rather than penetrating, and it is graded low concern in published assessments.

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 linoleic-acid-rich plant oil used as an emollient and, in some small pediatric studies, associated with support of the skin barrier when applied to infant skin. It is well tolerated with a low reported rate of contact reactions.

An emulsifier made from sorbitol and isostearic acid, used to stabilize oil-in-water formulas. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel assessed it as safe for cosmetic use at typical concentrations.

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.

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