Beauty ingredients explained in plain English

A synthetic surfactant that helps cleanse and stabilize formulas, but may be drying for sensitive skin.

A gentle, amino-acid-based surfactant that cleanses without stripping the skin, making it a good choice for sensitive or dry skin types.

A synthetic surfactant that helps products foam and rinse cleanly, but may be drying or irritating for sensitive skin.

A synthetic surfactant that helps cleanse the skin but may cause mild irritation in sensitive individuals.

A gentle, multi-tasking surfactant that cleanses without stripping and leaves skin or hair feeling soft.

A gentle, plant-based cleanser that effectively removes impurities without stripping the skin, making it a good choice for sensitive skin.

A gentle surfactant that helps cleanse without stripping the skin, but is not a star active ingredient on its own.

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

A gentle, low-irritation surfactant that effectively cleanses without stripping the skin's natural moisture barrier.

A mild, protein-based surfactant that cleanses gently and leaves hair and skin feeling soft, making it a good choice for sensitive or dry types.

A behind-the-scenes helper that protects your products from metal contamination and improves rinse-off feel, but not a direct skin benefit ingredient.

A gentle, coconut-derived surfactant that cleans without stripping the skin, making it a good choice for sensitive skin.

A mild synthetic surfactant that helps cleansers foam and rinse cleanly, but may be too stripping for very dry or sensitive skin.

A synthetic surfactant that helps products spread smoothly and resist water, but its fluorinated chemistry raises environmental persistence concerns.

A gentle, castor-oil-derived surfactant that cleanses without stripping and helps hair feel soft and manageable.

Sodium Ricinoleate is a gentle, plant-derived cleanser that effectively removes dirt and oil without stripping the skin, but may cause mild irritation for sensitive types.

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

A mild, collagen-derived surfactant that cleanses gently and leaves skin feeling soft, ideal for sensitive or dry skin.

A mild, protein-derived cleansing agent that cleans without stripping the skin's natural moisture barrier.

A mild, protein-based surfactant that cleanses gently and leaves hair and skin feeling soft, making it a good choice for sensitive or dry skin.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps cleanse without stripping the skin, but may not suit those avoiding phthalate-related compounds.

A gentle, biodegradable surfactant that cleanses without stripping the skin, making it ideal for sensitive formulas.

A synthetic helper that improves product feel and mixing, but can be drying for sensitive skin.

A gentle, collagen-derived surfactant that cleans without stripping, making it a good choice for sensitive or dry skin.

A mild, protein-derived surfactant that cleanses without stripping and helps strengthen hair.

A mild, amino-acid-based surfactant that cleanses without stripping the skin, making it ideal for sensitive or dry skin types.

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

Sorbeth-2 Hexaoleate is a safe, effective emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in cleansers and creams, but it offers no direct skin benefit.

Sorbeth-20 is a gentle, water-soluble surfactant that helps cleanse without stripping the skin, making it a good choice for sensitive skin formulations.

A synthetic surfactant that helps cleanse and condition skin and hair, but may cause mild irritation in sensitive individuals.

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

Sorbeth-40 is a gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in cleansers and lotions, with a low risk of irritation.

Sorbeth-6 is a gentle, synthetic ingredient that helps products clean and mix without stripping the skin.

A gentle emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, making cleansers and creams feel smooth without stripping the skin.

Soyamide DEA helps create rich lather and thick texture in cleansers, but it may cause mild irritation for sensitive skin and has raised some safety concerns due to potential contamination with DEA-related impurities.

A gentle, coconut-derived surfactant that cleanses without stripping the skin, making it ideal for sensitive or dry skin types.

Soyamine is a plant-derived emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but it may be moderately irritating for sensitive skin.

An effective foam booster and thickener, but may cause irritation or clog pores in sensitive individuals.

A synthetic foam booster that helps cleansers feel richer and thicker, but offers no direct skin benefit.

Stearamide MIPA helps thicken and stabilize cleansers, but may be mildly irritating or clog pores for some skin types.

A synthetic foam booster that can improve lather and thickness but may be drying or irritating for sensitive skin.

A mild surfactant and foam booster that helps cleansers feel richer, but may be slightly pore-clogging for acne-prone skin.

A gentle, foam-boosting surfactant that helps cleansers feel creamy and less stripping, but may not suit ultra-sensitive scalps in high concentrations.

A gentle surfactant that boosts foam and thickens formulas, but may cause mild dryness in sensitive skin with frequent use.

A gentle surfactant that helps create rich foam and thicken formulas, with low irritation potential.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps create stable, creamy formulas without common irritation.

A synthetic thickener and emulsifier that helps stabilize formulas but may feel heavy on oily skin.

Steareth-25 is a gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps keep creams and lotions stable, but it may be less eco-friendly due to its ethoxylated nature.

Steareth-27 is a mild, non-irritating emulsifier that helps create stable, creamy textures in skincare and haircare products.

A mild synthetic emulsifier that helps create stable, creamy formulas without stripping the skin.

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

Steareth-80 is a gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in products, but its ethoxylation process may raise mild purity concerns for some users.

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

A mild, amino-acid-based cleanser that effectively removes dirt and oil while respecting your skin's natural barrier.

A mild, amino-acid-based surfactant that cleanses effectively while respecting the skin barrier, making it a great choice for sensitive or dry skin.

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

A mild, amino-acid-derived surfactant that cleanses without stripping the skin barrier, ideal for sensitive or dry skin.

A gentle synthetic conditioner that helps detangle hair and soften skin without heavy buildup.

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

A mild surfactant from tall oil that helps cleansers feel less stripping, but it's not a star active ingredient.