Beauty ingredients explained in plain English

Celestolide is a synthetic musk that adds a clean, long-lasting scent to products, but its potential for skin sensitization and environmental persistence means it's best for those without fragrance sensitivities.

A potent essential oil with antimicrobial benefits, but high risk of skin irritation and sensitization—best used in very low concentrations or avoided by sensitive skin.

Champaca Flower Oil adds a luxurious floral scent and mild skin-conditioning benefits, but its fragrance components can be irritating for sensitive skin.

Chaste Tree Leaf Oil is a fragrant botanical oil with traditional uses for balancing skin, but its benefits in skincare are not well-studied and it may cause irritation in sensitive individuals.

A fragrant flower oil with antioxidant potential, best suited for calming scents in skincare but may irritate sensitive skin.

Cinnamal is a common fragrance allergen that can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions, especially in sensitive individuals.

A synthetic fragrance compound that adds a sweet, floral-spicy scent but may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

A synthetic cinnamon-scented fragrance ingredient that can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals, especially at higher concentrations.

Cinnamon Wood Oil adds a warm, spicy scent and may offer antimicrobial benefits, but it is a known skin irritant and allergen, so it's best used in low concentrations and avoided by sensitive skin.

Cinnamonitrile is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a cinnamon-like scent, but it can be a skin sensitizer for some people.

A fragrant essential oil with limited research; best for those who enjoy natural scents but may irritate sensitive skin.

Cinnamyl acetate adds a warm, spicy scent to products but can be a skin sensitizer for some people.

Cinnamyl alcohol adds a warm, floral scent to products but is a common allergen that can cause skin reactions in sensitive individuals.

Cinnamyl Benzoate is a common synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a warm, sweet scent but may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Cinnamyl Butyrate is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a sweet, balsamic scent but may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Cinnamyl Cinnamate adds a warm, spicy scent and offers mild UV protection, but it can be a skin sensitizer for some people.

Cinnamyl Formate adds a sweet, balsamic scent to products but can be a skin sensitizer for some people.

Cinnamyl isobutyrate is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a sweet, balsamic scent to products, but it may cause skin reactions in sensitive individuals.

Cinnamyl Isovalerate is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a sweet, balsamic scent but may cause skin sensitivity in some people.

Cinnamyl Phenylacetate is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a sweet, floral scent to products, but may cause sensitivity in some individuals.

Cinnamyl Propionate adds a warm, spicy scent to products but may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals, especially at higher concentrations.

A synthetic scent molecule that adds a fresh green note but offers no skincare benefit and may cause sensitivity in some individuals.

A synthetic fragrance compound that adds a pleasant scent but offers no skincare benefits and may cause sensitivity in some individuals.

Cis-3-Heptenyl Acetate is a synthetic scent ingredient that adds a fresh, green note to products, but offers no skincare benefit and may cause sensitivity in those with fragrance allergies.

Cis-3-Hexenal is a green, leafy scent ingredient that can add freshness to products but may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals at higher levels.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh, green scent but offers no skincare benefits and may be unnecessary for sensitive skin.

A gentle, plant-derived fragrance ingredient that provides a fresh green scent with a low risk of irritation.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a pleasant scent but offers no skincare benefits; generally safe at low concentrations.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a green, leafy scent but offers no skincare benefits and may cause sensitivity in some people.

A synthetic fragrance ester that adds a fresh, green scent to products; generally safe at low levels but offers no skincare benefit.

A natural green-scented ester that adds a fresh, leafy fragrance to products; generally safe and non-irritating at cosmetic levels.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh green scent but offers no direct skincare benefit and may be a concern for those with fragrance sensitivities.

A synthetic green-note fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh scent but offers no skincare benefits.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh green scent; generally safe at low levels but may cause sensitivity in some individuals.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh, green scent; generally safe but may cause sensitivity in those with fragrance allergies.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that provides a fresh, leafy scent and mild skin conditioning, but offers no significant skincare benefits on its own.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh, green scent but offers no skincare benefits and may cause sensitivity in some individuals.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that provides a pleasant green-floral scent; generally safe at low concentrations but may cause sensitivity in some individuals.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh, green scent; generally considered safe at low concentrations but may be a concern for those with fragrance sensitivities.

A synthetic scent ingredient that makes products smell fresh and green, but offers no skin benefit and may trigger allergies in sensitive individuals.

A natural fragrance component that provides a fresh green scent; generally safe but may cause sensitivity in those allergic to fragrance ingredients.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh green scent; generally safe at low levels but offers no skincare benefit.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh, green scent but may cause irritation in sensitive individuals.

A synthetic scent ingredient that adds a fresh green note but offers no skincare benefit and may cause sensitivity in some people.

Cis-4-Heptenal is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh, green scent to products; it is generally safe at low levels but may cause irritation in sensitive individuals.

A synthetic fragrance compound that adds a fresh, green scent but offers no skincare benefits and may cause sensitivity in some individuals.

Cis-6-Nonenal is a synthetic fragrance compound that adds a fresh, watery melon note to products, but it offers no skincare benefits beyond scent.

A synthetic scent ingredient that adds a fresh, green note to products but offers no skincare benefits.

Cis-Dihydrocarvone is a natural minty scent ingredient that gives products a fresh aroma, but it may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals at higher concentrations.

A synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds scent but offers no skincare benefits; safe at low levels but may cause sensitivity in some people.

Cis-Isoocimenol is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh scent but may cause irritation in sensitive individuals.

Cis-Non-2-Enal is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that adds a fresh, green note to products but may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

A synthetic scent ingredient that adds a woody note but has limited published safety data beyond basic fragrance industry use.

A synthetic fragrance aldehyde that adds a fresh scent but may cause irritation in sensitive skin.

Cistus Leaf Oil offers antioxidant and astringent benefits, but its strong fragrance can be irritating for sensitive skin.

Cistus oil offers antioxidant and astringent benefits but can be irritating for sensitive skin due to its fragrance compounds.

Cistus Resin Oil offers antioxidant and astringent benefits but is primarily used for its warm, balsamic scent; it may irritate sensitive skin.

Citral adds a fresh lemon scent but is a common allergen that can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Citral Diethyl Acetal is a synthetic fragrance ingredient that provides a fresh, citrusy scent, but may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Citral Dimethyl Acetal is a synthetic fragrance compound that provides a fresh lemon-like scent, but may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals, especially at higher concentrations.