Black Sugar Perfect Cleansing Oil

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.

A multi-ester emollient created from pentaerythritol and ethylhexanoic acid. It provides silky texture and skin conditioning with no documented safety concerns at cosmetic concentrations.

A solvent and emollient ester used in leave-on and rinse-off formulas. The CIR Expert Panel reviewed alkyl benzoates and found no irritation even at full strength, with typical use levels ranging from 0.0008 to 50 percent depending on product type.

A multi-ester emollient derived from pentaerythritol and isostearic acid. It softens and protects skin, with no known safety concerns in cosmetic formulas.

A PEG-based emulsifier that blends oils and water in formulas. It is a workhorse ingredient in stable emulsions and is approved for cosmetic use. Well tolerated.

Technically a liquid wax ester rather than a true oil, jojoba closely resembles skin's own sebum and absorbs without feeling greasy. It is well tolerated across skin types, including acne-prone skin, with no significant irritation or comedogenicity signal in the available data.

Cold-pressed oil from olive fruit, valued as a carrier and emollient in skincare formulas. Well tolerated across skin types and delivers fatty acids that support skin barrier integrity.

A lightweight carrier oil expressed from macadamia nuts, rich in oleic acid and similar in composition to skin lipids. Very well tolerated in cosmetic use, though individuals with tree nut allergies who are cautious may want to patch test.

A lightweight emollient oil from meadowfoam seeds, prized in cosmetics for its stability and skin feel. Very well tolerated with no documented safety concerns in published assessments.

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

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.

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

Sodium PCA is a natural component of skin's own moisturizing factor and is used in cosmetics as a humectant to help skin hold onto water. It has an extensive history of safe use with no meaningful irritation or sensitization signal.

A humectant naturally derived from sugar beets that helps skin draw in and hold water; it has a long history of safe use with no meaningful irritation or sensitization concerns.

An essential amino acid that is a component of the skin barrier and natural moisturizing factor, used in cosmetics to improve hydration. It is well tolerated and assessed as safe for topical application.

A humectant sugar alcohol that draws water into the skin. It is well tolerated and widely used in skincare and food. Not known to cause concern at the concentrations used in cosmetics.

An amino acid abundant in collagen that functions as a humectant to draw moisture into the skin. It is well tolerated in skincare products and assessed as safe for cosmetic use at standard formulation levels.

A basic amino acid naturally found in skin that draws moisture into the stratum corneum. It is well tolerated in cosmetics at typical concentrations and has been used safely in skincare formulations for decades.

A non-essential amino acid that occurs naturally in skin and is used in cosmetics as a humectant and skin-conditioning agent. It has an established safety record with no reported concerns at typical usage levels.

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 waxy sterol found naturally in skin and used in cosmetics as an emollient and emulsifier. It supports the skin barrier and is well tolerated across skin types.

A naturally occurring amino acid that is a key component of skin barrier lipids and the natural moisturizing factor. It binds water to the skin and is well established as a safe hydrating ingredient with no known sensitization concerns.

The simplest amino acid, naturally present in skin and collagen, commonly used as a humectant to help retain moisture. It has a long history of safe use in cosmetics with no known hazards at typical concentrations.

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.

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

A lab-made version of a lipid naturally found in the outer skin barrier. It is added to creams and cleansers to help replace lipids that washing can strip away, and it is not linked to irritation or safety concerns.

A disaccharide (table sugar) that acts as a humectant to improve skin hydration and is a naturally occurring component of the skin barrier. It is well established as safe for topical cosmetic use with no known hazards.

A glycerin derivative used as a skin conditioner and preservative booster, often paired with phenoxyethanol to allow lower total preservative levels. It has a low irritation and sensitization profile in safety reviews.

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 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.