Beauty ingredients explained in plain English

A promising probiotic ingredient that may help balance skin bacteria and strengthen the skin barrier, but research is still early.

A probiotic ingredient that may help balance the skin's microbiome and strengthen the skin barrier, but research is still emerging.

A gentle, water-based star anise extract that offers mild antioxidant and astringent benefits, but research on its topical effects is limited.

Star Anise Fruit/Seed Oil offers antimicrobial and soothing benefits but can be irritating for sensitive skin due to its essential oil nature.

Star Anise Leaf Oil adds a pleasant scent and some antioxidant benefits, but its essential oil nature means it can be irritating for sensitive skin.

A gentle, antioxidant-rich fruit extract that may help protect skin from environmental stress, though research is still emerging.

A gentle botanical extract that may help calm irritated skin and provide antioxidant support, though research is still emerging.

A gentle modified starch that improves product feel and absorbs excess oil without clogging pores.

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

A gentle, modified starch that helps condition hair and improve product texture without heavy buildup.

A gentle, plant-derived conditioning ingredient that helps detangle hair and reduce static without heavy buildup.

Starch Tallowate is a safe, low-irritation binder that helps cosmetics feel smooth and stay together, but it offers no active skincare benefits.

A gentle botanical extract with antioxidant potential, but research on its specific skin benefits is still limited.

Steapyrium Chloride is a synthetic conditioning agent that reduces static and improves manageability in hair, with a good safety profile for most users.

A modified clay that thickens formulas and helps keep ingredients evenly mixed, but it can feel heavy on some skin types.

Stearalkonium chloride is an effective conditioning ingredient that reduces static and softens hair, but it may cause irritation or clog pores in sensitive individuals.

A silicone-based conditioning agent that smooths hair and skin, but its phthalate component raises environmental and formulation concerns.

A safe, clay-based thickener that helps keep formulas smooth and stable, but may feel heavy on very oily skin.

Stearamide is a synthetic thickener and stabilizer that helps give creams and lotions a smooth, rich texture with a low risk of irritation.

A synthetic thickener and stabilizer that improves texture but may be too heavy for oily or acne-prone skin.

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

A synthetic emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in creams, but may be slightly pore-clogging for some skin types.

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

A synthetic thickener and stabilizer that helps give creams a rich texture, but may be too heavy for oily or acne-prone skin.

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

A gentle, synthetic ingredient that mimics natural bile acids to calm redness and support a healthy skin barrier.

A reliable synthetic emollient that softens skin and improves product feel without common irritation or clogging concerns.

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

A synthetic conditioning agent that reduces static and softens hair, but may not suit those avoiding ethoxylated ingredients.

A synthetic conditioning agent that helps soften hair and stabilize formulas, but may be mildly irritating for sensitive skin.

A gentle synthetic conditioning agent that helps soften hair and skin without heavy buildup.

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

A gentle synthetic conditioner that helps hair feel soft and skin feel smooth without heavy buildup.

A synthetic conditioning agent that reduces static and softens hair, but may cause irritation for sensitive scalps at higher concentrations.

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

A synthetic conditioning ingredient that helps reduce frizz and static while adding softness to hair and skin, but may feel heavy for very fine hair.

A gentle silicone that smooths hair and softens skin without heavy buildup, but may not suit those avoiding all silicones.

A gentle conditioning ingredient that helps detangle hair and soften skin without heavy buildup.

A gentle, effective conditioning ingredient that leaves hair and skin feeling soft without heavy buildup.

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

A gentle synthetic conditioner that smooths hair and reduces static without heavy buildup, also safe for most skin types.

A gentle, effective conditioning ingredient that smooths hair without heavy buildup, suitable for most hair types.

A synthetic conditioner that reduces static and softens hair, but may cause sensitivity in some people.

A synthetic conditioning agent that helps reduce static and soften hair, generally well-tolerated but with limited research on long-term effects.

A gentle conditioning ingredient that helps soften hair and skin while reducing static and improving texture.

A synthetic conditioning agent that helps smooth hair and reduce static, but may feel heavy on fine hair.

A gentle, synthetic conditioning ingredient that helps detangle hair and soften skin without heavy buildup.

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

Stearamine helps blend oil and water in creams and conditioners, but may be irritating for sensitive skin or scalps.

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

A mild emulsifier that stabilizes creams and lotions while adding a silky, non-greasy feel — generally safe and well-tolerated.

A gentle conditioning emulsifier that helps blend oil and water while leaving hair and skin feeling soft.

A gentle conditioning ingredient derived from milk protein that helps hair feel smoother and less frizzy without heavy buildup.

A gentle conditioning ingredient that reduces static and softens hair, but offers limited skin benefits.

A gentle, protein-based conditioning ingredient that helps reduce frizz and static without heavy buildup.

A gentle, positively charged protein that coats hair to reduce frizz and static without weighing it down.

A gentle, protein-derived conditioning ingredient that smooths hair without heavy buildup.

A gentle, protein-derived conditioning ingredient that smooths hair and softens skin without heavy buildup.

A gentle, protein-based conditioning ingredient that reduces static and adds softness to hair without heavy buildup.

A gentle, protein-derived conditioning ingredient that helps soften hair and reduce flyaways without heavy buildup.