Acne Foaming Wash

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

A strong foaming cleanser. It can be drying or irritating for some people, especially in leave-on or high-concentration products. It is not a toxin, and it rinses away.

A coconut-derived mild surfactant best known as the main cleansing agent in syndet ("soap-free") bars and gentle body washes. It has a good tolerability record and is often chosen specifically for sensitive or eczema-prone skin.

A coconut-derived amphoteric surfactant used to boost foam and mildness in cleansers and shampoos. CIR has reviewed it as safe as used, but it is one of the more established contact-allergy triggers in personal care, usually traced to manufacturing impurities such as amidoamine and dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) rather than the betaine itself. People with a history of eyelid or scalp dermatitis are more likely to react.

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

The smallest and most penetrating alpha hydroxy acid, used to loosen the bonds between dead skin cells for smoother texture and tone. It is a genuine irritant at higher concentrations or low pH, can increase sun sensitivity, and the EU restricts free acid content and requires sunscreen-use wording on labeling.

A larger, gentler alpha hydroxy acid than glycolic acid, used to exfoliate and to draw in moisture. It can still cause stinging or increased sun sensitivity at higher concentrations, so daytime SPF use is sensible, but it is generally better tolerated than glycolic acid.

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 highly refined, purified oil that forms a light protective layer to slow water loss from skin. Cosmetic-grade mineral oil goes through purification steps that remove the contaminants associated with crude petroleum, and CIR has found it safe as used.

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 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 formaldehyde-releasing preservative used to extend shelf life. It is one of the more frequently reported contact-allergy triggers among preservatives, so people with sensitive or eczema-prone skin, or a known formaldehyde allergy, may want to patch test or avoid it.

A preservative that keeps products free of mold and bacteria. Reviewed repeatedly and considered safe at the low levels used.

A mineral UV filter and white pigment used in sunscreens and makeup. It sits on the skin surface rather than being absorbed, and major regulators consider it safe for topical cosmetic use.