Daily Moisturizing Lotion

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

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

A fatty alcohol derived from stearic acid that thickens creams and gives them a smooth, non-greasy glide. It is one of the fatty alcohols the CIR panel reviewed together and found safe as used, with a very low reported rate of contact sensitization.

A PEG-type emulsifier (ethoxylated cetearyl alcohol) that helps blend the water and oil parts of a cream. CIR concluded ceteareth ingredients are safe as used, with the one caveat that they are not meant for broken or damaged skin.

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.

One of the three major ceramides naturally found in human skin. Ceramide AP plays a critical role in maintaining the skin barrier and is extensively studied as a safe, essential ingredient. It is derived synthetically or from plant sources.

A key structural lipid naturally found in healthy skin that reinforces the barrier and improves hydration. It is well established in skincare formulations and assessed as having excellent safety across all skin types, including sensitive and compromised barriers.

Plant-derived sterols that function as emollients and barrier-supporting ingredients found naturally in many botanical sources. They are well tolerated in cosmetic formulations with no known safety concerns at typical use levels.

A gentle sugar-and-fatty-acid emulsifier that binds water and oil, favored in formulas for sensitive skin. It is well tolerated and graded low concern in published assessments.

A humectant that holds water at the skin surface for a more hydrated look. No safety concern.

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 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.

A polyol ester emulsifier that stabilizes water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions with minimal irritation. Like other polyglyceryl esters, it is valued for its mildness and is used across a range of skincare and color cosmetics.

A mineral salt used as a buffer and pH adjuster in cosmetics. No safety concerns at cosmetic concentrations.

A mild surfactant and emulsifier made from lactic acid and lauric acid. The lactate component makes it less irritating than many other surfactants; generally well tolerated in both rinse-off and leave-on formulas.

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

A plant-derived lipid precursor found naturally in skin that supports barrier function and lipid composition. It is used in skincare formulations to strengthen the stratum corneum and is documented as well tolerated, though rare individual sensitivities may occur.

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.

This small glycol is used to thin out formulas and help preservatives work better, similar in role to propylene glycol and butylene glycol already in wide use. Industry and EU safety reviewers have set purity and concentration conditions for its use rather than restricting it outright, and no consumer-relevant hazard has been established at typical cosmetic levels.

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.

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.

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.