Beauty ingredients explained in plain English

A gentle silicone emulsifier that improves product feel and stability without common irritation concerns.

A gentle surfactant that helps cleansers foam without stripping the skin, often used to offset harsher ingredients.

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

Ceteareth-10 Phosphate is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in products, with low irritation potential and good skin compatibility.

Ceteareth-16 is a reliable emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but it may be slightly irritating for very sensitive skin.

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

A reliable emulsifier that helps your skincare products feel smooth and mix well, but it's synthetic and may be too heavy for very oily skin.

Ceteareth-24 is a synthetic emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in products, generally considered safe and low-irritation for most skin types.

A gentle cleansing and emulsifying ingredient that helps blend oil and water in skincare products, with a low risk of irritation.

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

Ceteareth-28 is a gentle emulsifier that helps water and oil mix in your skincare, making creams and cleansers smooth and stable without harshness.

Ceteareth-30 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in creams and cleansers, with a low risk of irritation.

Ceteareth-33 is a synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but it can be mildly irritating for sensitive skin.

A gentle emulsifier and surfactant that helps blend oil and water in cleansers and creams, with low irritation potential.

A gentle, phosphate-based emulsifier that helps blend water and oil without stripping the skin, making it a good choice for sensitive skin formulations.

Ceteareth-6 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in your skincare, but it may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane during manufacturing, so look for purified versions.

Ceteareth-7 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in skincare products, with a low risk of irritation or clogged pores.

Ceteareth-8 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in your products, but it may be contaminated with trace levels of 1,4-dioxane, a potential impurity to watch for.

Ceteth-1 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in cleansers and lotions, but it is not a star active ingredient.

Ceteth-10 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in cleansers and creams, with a low risk of irritation.

A gentle, phosphate-based emulsifier that helps water and oil mix without stripping the skin, making it a solid choice for mild cleansers and lotions.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, but may be too heavy for very sensitive or acne-prone skin in high concentrations.

Ceteth-13 is a gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in creams and cleansers, with a low risk of irritation.

Ceteth-15 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in cleansers and creams, with a low risk of irritation.

Ceteth-150 is a gentle synthetic thickener and emulsifier that helps create smooth, stable textures in cleansers and lotions, but it offers no direct skin benefit beyond formulation.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps water and oil mix, but may not suit those avoiding ethoxylated ingredients.

Ceteth-18 is a gentle cleansing and emulsifying ingredient that helps blend oil and water in skincare formulas, with a low risk of irritation.

A gentle synthetic emulsifier that helps mix oil and water, commonly used in cleansers and lotions.

Ceteth-25 is a gentle, water-loving emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in skincare formulas without stripping the skin.

Ceteth-3 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix water and oil in products, but it may not suit those seeking completely natural formulations.

Ceteth-4 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in cleansers and lotions, with a low risk of irritation for most skin types.

Ceteth-6 is a gentle emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in your skincare, making it a common but low-risk ingredient in cleansers and creams.

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

A gentle surfactant and emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in skincare formulas without stripping the skin.

Cetoleth-6 is a gentle emulsifier that helps cleansers foam and rinse cleanly without stripping the skin.

Cetrimonium bromide is an effective hair conditioner and mild preservative, but can be irritating to sensitive skin or eyes at higher concentrations.

A gentle, semi-synthetic surfactant that cleanses effectively while being less likely to irritate sensitive skin.

Cocamide helps create rich lather in cleansers but may be drying or irritating for sensitive skin.

Cocamide DEA is an effective foaming agent, but its potential to form carcinogenic impurities and cause skin irritation makes it a controversial choice in modern formulations.

Cocamide DIPA helps create rich lather and thick texture in cleansers, but may be slightly drying for sensitive skin.

A coconut-derived foaming agent that helps cleansers lather and feel thicker, but may be drying or irritating for sensitive skin.

A gentle, coconut-derived conditioning agent that helps reduce frizz and static without stripping the skin or hair.

A gentle, coconut-derived foaming agent that helps cleansers feel less stripping, though a small number of people may react to impurities.

A gentle conditioning surfactant that cleanses without stripping, but its complex structure means limited independent safety data.

Cocamidopropyl Morpholine is an effective emulsifier and surfactant, but may cause irritation for sensitive skin types, especially in high concentrations.

A gentle, coconut-derived surfactant that helps create a rich lather and is less stripping than harsher cleansers.

Coceth-20 is a gentle, coconut-derived emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in cleansers and creams, with a low risk of irritation.

A gentle, coconut-derived cleansing agent that helps products foam and rinse clean without stripping the skin.

Coceth-8 is a gentle cleansing ingredient that helps products foam and rinse clean without stripping the skin.

A gentle, coconut-derived surfactant that creates rich lather while being far less stripping than traditional sulfates.

A gentle, coconut-derived surfactant that cleanses without stripping the skin or scalp.

A gentle, plant-based surfactant that cleanses without stripping the skin, ideal for sensitive or dry skin types.

A mild, conditioning surfactant that cleanses without stripping and helps reduce frizz—great for sensitive scalps and dry hair.

A gentle, coconut-derived ingredient that helps cleansers foam and feel creamy without stripping the skin.

A mild, protein-enriched surfactant that cleanses without stripping, making it ideal for sensitive or dry skin.

A mild, protein-enriched cleansing agent that cleans without stripping, making it ideal for sensitive or dry skin and hair.

A mild surfactant that helps create rich foam and gently cleanses, but may be too drying for very sensitive or dry skin.

A synthetic silicone emulsifier that helps mix water and oil, but its DEA component raises mild safety questions.

A synthetic fluorinated ingredient that helps products spread evenly and resist water, but raises environmental persistence concerns.

Deceth-10 is a mild synthetic emulsifier that helps products spread and rinse cleanly, but may cause irritation for very sensitive skin.