Hand and Body Cream

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

A light, non-comedogenic oil from safflower seeds, high in linoleic acid. It is well tolerated across skin types and valued for its ability to condition the skin without a heavy feel.

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 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.

This branched hydrocarbon is one of the isoparaffins the CIR Expert Panel reviewed and found safe as used in cosmetics, including as an emollient in leave-on face creams. It is generally considered non-comedogenic and used mainly to give a lightweight, non-greasy skin feel.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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 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.

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 rich plant butter pressed from shea tree nuts, valued for softening and cushioning dry skin. It is generally well tolerated, though very rare allergic reactions have been reported and people with tree nut allergies who are cautious may want to patch test first.

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.

A citrus essential oil with a fresh scent, extracted from lemon peel. It contains recognized fragrance allergen constituents (limonene, citral) and can trigger contact reactions in fragrance-sensitive individuals. Additionally, citrus peel oils carry documented phototoxicity risk, meaning skin treated with the product should avoid direct sunlight.

Finely milled oat that the FDA recognizes as an over-the-counter skin protectant for temporary relief of minor itching and dryness. Well tolerated, including on eczema-prone skin, with rare contact allergy in people with pre-existing oat or cereal sensitivity.

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.

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.

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.

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 rich, solid-at-room-temperature butter extracted from cocoa seeds, valued for its intense emollient and conditioning properties. While generally well tolerated, it carries a higher likelihood of comedogenicity, so people with acne-prone skin may want to opt for lighter alternatives.

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 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.

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