Beauty ingredients explained in plain English

A gentle emulsifier derived from lanolin that helps blend oil and water, but may be slightly comedogenic for acne-prone skin.

A gentle emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in your skincare, while also softening the skin.

A synthetic film-former that helps products stay put and resist water, but offers no active skincare benefit.

PEG-16 Oleate is a safe, widely used emulsifier that helps products feel smooth and rinse cleanly, but it may not suit those avoiding synthetic ethoxylated ingredients.

A gentle, plant-based emulsifier that stabilizes formulas and leaves skin feeling smooth without clogging pores.

PEG-16 Tallate is a functional emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but its PEG component and potential impurities raise mild safety considerations.

A gentle, large-molecule emulsifier that stabilizes oil-and-water blends without significant irritation or clogging concerns.

PEG-160M is a safe, synthetic thickener that improves product texture without causing irritation or clogging pores.

A gentle silicone emulsifier that helps create smooth, spreadable textures without clogging pores.

A reliable synthetic emulsifier that helps create stable, creamy textures, but may not suit those avoiding PEG compounds.

A reliable synthetic emulsifier that stabilizes formulas without significant irritation or clogging concerns.

A common emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but may be mildly irritating or clog pores for some skin types.

A gentle, non-stripping surfactant that helps cleanse without over-drying, making it a good choice for sensitive or dry skin.

A gentle emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in products, with a low risk of irritation for most skin types.

A safe, effective emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in creams and cleansers, but may be less suitable for very sensitive skin due to potential mild irritation.

A reliable emulsifier that helps keep creams and lotions stable, but may be too heavy for very oily or acne-prone skin.

A synthetic polymer that helps create a smooth, silky feel on skin and improves product spreadability.

A synthetic thickener that helps give your cleansers and lotions a smooth, gel-like texture without clogging pores.

A gentle synthetic polymer that helps cleansers foam and rinse cleanly, but offers no skin benefit beyond cleansing.

PEG-180M is a safe synthetic thickener that improves product texture and spreadability without common irritation concerns.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in creams and lotions, with a low risk of irritation.

A gentle cleansing ingredient derived from apricot oil that helps water and oil mix, but its PEG component raises mild environmental and purity concerns.

A gentle synthetic ingredient that helps products feel smooth and spread easily, but offers no active skincare benefit on its own.

A mild synthetic surfactant that helps cleanse without stripping the skin, but may not suit ultra-sensitive types.

A gentle emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in skincare products, but may not suit those avoiding all PEG compounds.

PEG-2 Cocamide is a common cleansing and emulsifying ingredient, but its moderate irritation potential means it's best suited for rinse-off products and may not be ideal for very sensitive skin.

A gentle, coconut-derived surfactant that helps cleanse without stripping the skin, but contains PEG compounds that some prefer to avoid.

PEG-2 Cocamine is a mild surfactant and emulsifier that helps mix oils and water, but may cause irritation or clog pores in sensitive or acne-prone skin.

A synthetic conditioning agent that reduces static and adds softness, but may cause irritation for sensitive skin or eyes.

A synthetic emollient that helps products spread smoothly and leaves skin feeling soft without heavy greasiness.

A gentle synthetic emollient that helps products feel silky and spread easily, with low irritation potential.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in creams and lotions, with a low risk of irritation or clogging pores.

A synthetic emollient that helps products feel smooth and spread easily, but may be moderately pore-clogging for some skin types.

A mild, plant-derived conditioning ingredient that softens hair and reduces static without heavy buildup.

A reliable emulsifier that helps mix water and oil, but may be slightly pore-clogging for acne-prone skin.

A synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in products, generally considered safe at low concentrations.

A reliable synthetic emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in creams and lotions, but may be slightly pore-clogging for acne-prone skin.

A gentle emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, generally safe for most skin types but may be too heavy for very oily skin.

A synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but may be mildly irritating for sensitive skin and has moderate comedogenic potential.

PEG-2 Isostearate is a gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in creams and lotions, but it may not suit those avoiding all PEG compounds.

PEG-2 Lauramide is a synthetic ingredient that helps cleansers foam and mix oil with water, but it may be mildly irritating for sensitive skin.

An effective cleansing agent, but may be too stripping for dry or sensitive skin types.

A gentle emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in skincare products, generally well-tolerated but not a star active ingredient.

PEG-2 Laurate SE helps mix oil and water in creams and cleansers, but may be slightly irritating or pore-clogging for sensitive or acne-prone skin.

A gentle, semi-synthetic ingredient that combines milk solids with PEG to improve skin feel and product texture, but may not suit those avoiding PEGs or animal-derived ingredients.

PEG-2 Oleamine helps mix oil and water in cleansers, but may be mildly irritating for sensitive skin.

PEG-2 Oleammonium Chloride is a synthetic conditioning agent that reduces static and softens hair, but it may cause irritation for sensitive skin or clog pores in acne-prone individuals.

PEG-2 Oleate is a mild synthetic emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in cleansers and creams, but it may be less common in modern formulations due to concerns about ethoxylation byproducts.

A reliable emulsifier for oil-and-water blends, but may be too rich for acne-prone skin.

A gentle, olive-derived emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in skincare formulas without stripping the skin.

A gentle synthetic ingredient that helps products spread smoothly and feel less greasy, but offers no active skin benefits.

A gentle conditioning ingredient from rapeseed oil that helps soften hair and skin without heavy buildup.

A gentle emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in cleansers and creams, with a low risk of irritation.

A gentle emulsifier that helps oil and water mix, making creams and lotions stable and smooth.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in creams and lotions, generally well-tolerated by most skin types.

PEG-2 Soyamine is an effective emulsifier and surfactant, but it may cause irritation or clog pores for some skin types, especially in leave-on products.

A gentle, PEG-modified surfactant that helps create a rich foam while being less stripping than traditional sulfates.

PEG-2 Stearamine is a synthetic ingredient that helps hair feel soft and reduces static, but it may be mildly irritating for sensitive skin.

PEG-2 Stearate is a reliable emulsifier that keeps creams and lotions stable, but it may be moderately comedogenic for acne-prone skin.

A reliable emulsifier that helps create stable, creamy textures, but may be slightly pore-clogging for some skin types.