Beauty ingredients explained in plain English

A gentle, biotech-derived lipid that supports skin barrier function and offers mild cleansing without stripping.

A gentle, silicone-based cleansing and texturizing ingredient that helps products spread smoothly without stripping the skin.

Almondamide DEA helps create rich lather and thicker textures, but it is a semi-synthetic ingredient with moderate irritation potential for sensitive skin.

A gentle, almond-derived surfactant that helps create a rich lather without stripping the skin, making it a good choice for sensitive skin.

A mild synthetic surfactant that helps cleanse and adjust pH, but may cause irritation in sensitive skin at higher concentrations.

A mild synthetic surfactant and pH adjuster that helps create gentle, non-stripping cleansers.

A gentle, plant-derived cleansing agent that effectively removes dirt and oil without stripping the skin or hair.

A synthetic ingredient that helps products resist water and oil, but raises environmental concerns due to its perfluoroalkyl structure.

A synthetic surfactant with strong water-repellent properties, but its safety and environmental impact are under scrutiny due to its perfluoroalkyl structure.

A mild, coconut-derived surfactant that cleans effectively without stripping the skin, making it a popular sulfate-free alternative.

Ammonium Isostearate is a mild cleansing agent that helps mix oil and water, but it may cause irritation for very sensitive skin.

A milder relative of SLS that effectively cleanses without stripping the skin as harshly.

Ammonium Oleate is an effective cleanser and emulsifier, but it can be drying or irritating for sensitive skin due to its soap-like nature.

A synthetic emulsifier that helps formulas spread evenly and resist water, but it belongs to a chemical family under environmental scrutiny.

A mild synthetic helper that keeps formulas stable and clear, but offers no direct skin benefit.

Apricotamide DEA is a mild surfactant that helps create rich lather, but it may cause irritation for sensitive skin and has raised some safety concerns due to its DEA content.

Arachideth-20 is a gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in cleansers and lotions, with a low risk of irritation.

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

Arachideth-27 is a gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in cleansers and lotions, with a low risk of irritation.

A synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water but may be slightly drying or irritating for sensitive skin.

Arachideth-42 is a synthetic emulsifier that helps mix water and oil, but it may cause mild irritation for sensitive skin.

A gentle, non-stripping emulsifier that helps create stable, creamy textures without irritating the skin.

Avocadamide DEA is a mild foam booster and thickener for cleansers, but its DEA component raises some safety questions.

A gentle, avocado-derived surfactant that helps create rich lather without stripping the skin.

Babassu Acid is a gentle, plant-derived fatty acid that cleanses and softens skin without stripping moisture.

A mild foaming agent from babassu oil that helps create rich lather, but may cause irritation for sensitive skin.

Behenamide DEA helps create rich lather and thick texture in cleansers, but it has moderate irritation potential and environmental concerns.

Behenamide MEA is a mild thickening and foaming agent that helps create a rich lather in cleansers, but it offers no direct skin benefit.

A gentle, coconut-derived surfactant that helps create rich foam and a silky feel in cleansers and conditioners, with low irritation potential.

Behenamine Oxide is a gentle surfactant that helps create rich lather and stabilize formulas, but it's less common in modern 'clean' beauty due to its synthetic origin.

Beheneth-10 is a gentle, synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in products, making it a safe choice for most skin types, including sensitive skin.

A gentle, non-drying emulsifier that helps create stable, creamy formulas without stripping the skin.

Beheneth-25 is a gentle, non-irritating emulsifier that helps cleanse without stripping the skin, making it a solid choice for sensitive skin formulas.

Beheneth-30 is a mild, low-irritation emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in cleansers and creams, making it a good choice for sensitive skin.

Beheneth-5 is a gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps oil and water mix, making creams and lotions feel smooth without heavy irritation.

A mild, conditioning surfactant that cleans without stripping, making it ideal for sensitive skin and dry hair.

A mild synthetic surfactant that helps cleanse and stabilize formulas without stripping the skin.

A mild, amino-acid-based surfactant that cleanses without stripping the skin barrier — a good choice for sensitive or dry skin.

Buteth-3 is a synthetic helper ingredient that blends oil and water, but it may cause mild irritation for sensitive skin.

A gentle, sugar-based surfactant that cleans without stripping and leaves skin or hair feeling soft.

A gentle cleansing agent that helps remove dirt and oil, but may cause mild irritation for very sensitive skin.

A gentle cleansing agent that helps remove dirt and oil without stripping the skin, but may cause mild irritation for very sensitive skin.

A gentle synthetic cleanser that helps remove dirt and oil, but may be slightly drying for very sensitive skin.

A mild synthetic surfactant that helps cleansers foam and rinse cleanly without stripping the skin.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, widely used in cleansers and considered safe at typical levels.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps cleansers foam and rinse cleanly, but may cause mild irritation for very sensitive skin.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but may cause mild irritation for very sensitive skin.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but may cause mild irritation for very sensitive skin.

A synthetic emulsifier that helps cleansers and lotions mix and rinse clean, but may be slightly drying for sensitive skin.

A synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but may be drying or irritating for sensitive skin.

A gentle cleansing agent that helps remove dirt and oil without stripping the skin, but may cause irritation for very sensitive skin types.

A mild synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in rinse-off products, generally well-tolerated.

A gentle synthetic surfactant that helps cleanse without stripping the skin, commonly used in mild foaming cleansers.

A gentle, effective surfactant that helps cleanse without stripping the skin's natural moisture barrier.

A mild synthetic surfactant that helps cleansers foam and rinse cleanly without stripping the skin.

A gentle synthetic surfactant that helps cleanse without stripping the skin, but may not be suitable for ultra-sensitive skin in high concentrations.

A gentle, effective surfactant that helps cleanse without stripping the skin, making it a common choice for mild formulas.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps cleansers foam and creams feel smooth, but may be slightly drying for very sensitive skin.

A gentle surfactant that helps cleansers foam and rinse cleanly without stripping the skin's natural moisture barrier.

A gentle cleansing ingredient that helps products foam and rinse clean without stripping the skin.