Ingredients
| what‑it‑does | solvent |
Normal (well kind of - it's purified and deionized) water. Usually the main solvent in cosmetic products.
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| what‑it‑does | solvent |
A type of glycol. Its main job is to be a solvent, but it has also very good antimicrobial properties and acts as a true preservative booster.
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A probiotic ingredient that might protect against UV-induced damage, help barrier repair and decrease skin sensitivity.
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| what‑it‑does | skin-identical ingredient | moisturizer/humectant |
| irritancy, com. | 0, 0 |
A real oldie but a goodie. Great natural moisturizer and skin-identical ingredient that plays an important role in skin hydration and general skin health.
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| what‑it‑does | cell-communicating ingredient | skin brightening | anti-acne | moisturizer/humectant |
A multi-functional skincare superstar that has clinically proven anti-aging, skin lightening, anti-inflammatory and barrier repair properties.
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| what‑it‑does | emollient |
| irritancy, com. | 0, 1 |
A very common silicone that gives both skin and hair a silky smooth feel. It also forms a protective barrier on the skin and fills in fine lines. Also used for scar treatment.
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| what‑it‑does | solvent | moisturizer/humectant |
A multi-functional, silky feeling helper ingredient that can do quite many things. It's used as an emulsion stabilizer, solvent, and a broad spectrum antimicrobial.
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| what‑it‑does | solvent |
A clear, colorless liquid that works as a solvent and viscosity decreasing ingredient. It also has great skin-moisturizing abilities.
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| what‑it‑does | moisturizer/humectant | emollient | viscosity controlling |
| irritancy, com. | 0, 0 |
It's a nice glycerin-based humectant and emollient that gives skin a smooth and luxurious feel.
| what‑it‑does | soothing | antioxidant | moisturizer/humectant |
Centella Asiatica - or sometimes also called Gotu Kola or Cica - has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years. It’s traditionally used to improve small wounds, burns and scratches and it’s also a well known anti-inflammatory agent for eczema.
Recently science has taken an interest in Gotu Kola as well and it turns out it really has many active compounds with several benefits.
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| what‑it‑does | moisturizer/humectant | solvent |
| irritancy, com. | 0, 0 |
A common glycol that improves the freeze-thaw stability of products. It's also a solvent, humectant and to some extent a penetration enhancer.
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| what‑it‑does | moisturizer/humectant | solvent |
| what‑it‑does | skin-identical ingredient |
Ceramides make up 50% of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated.
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| what‑it‑does | soothing | moisturizer/humectant |
| irritancy, com. | 0, 0 |
Pro-Vitamin B5 is a goodie that moisturises the skin, has anti-inflammatory, skin protecting and wound healing properties.
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| what‑it‑does | skin-identical ingredient |
One of the 9 types of ceramides that can be found naturally in the upper layer of the skin. Ceramides make up a big part (about 50%) of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells (called extracellular matrix) and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated.
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| what‑it‑does | skin-identical ingredient |
Ceramides get quite a lot of hype recently and good news: there is a reason for that. But before we go into the details, let's just quickly define what the heck ceramides are:
They are waxy lipids that can be found naturally in the outer layer of the skin (called stratum corneum - SC).
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| what‑it‑does | skin-identical ingredient |
A type of ceramide that can be found naturally in the upper layer of the skin. Ceramides make up 50% of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated.
We have written way more about ceramides at ceramide 1, so click here to know more.
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| what‑it‑does | skin-identical ingredient | moisturizer/humectant |
| irritancy, com. | 0, 0 |
It's the salt form of famous humectant and natural moisturizing factor, hyaluronic acid. It can bind huge amounts of water and it's pretty much the current IT-moisturizer.
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| what‑it‑does | emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing |
A castor oil derived, white, lard-like helper ingredient that is used as a solubilizer to put fragrances into water-based products such as toners.
| what‑it‑does | moisturizer/humectant |
A derivative of Urea, that works as a strong moisturizer and humectant meaning that it helps the skin to cling onto water and thus to make it hydrated and elastic.
According to manufacturer's data, Hydroxyethyl Urea has a similar moisturizing ability to glycerin (measured at 5%), but it feels nicer on the skin as it is non-sticky and non-tacky and gives a lubri
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| what‑it‑does | emollient | moisturizer/humectant | surfactant/cleansing |
A type of silicone that makes the skin smooth and nice (emollient), moisturizes and helps to reduce the tackiness of the products.
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| what‑it‑does | soothing | cell-communicating ingredient |
A soothing molecule whose special feature is to instantly decrease stinging and burning sensations. According to the manufacturer's impressive numbers, it can reduce stinging up to 78% and burning sensation by up to 80% after just 3 minutes. It is so effective because it works at a cellular level
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| what‑it‑does | antioxidant |
Q10 - an antioxidant found naturally in human cells where it plays an important role in energy production. As for skincare, it works as an awesome antioxidant that might also be able to reduce wrinkle depth.
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| what‑it‑does | emulsifying |
A silicone emulsifier that helps water and silicone oils to mix nicely together.
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| what‑it‑does | emollient |
An emollient ester with a rich and creamy but non-greasy skin feel.
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| what‑it‑does | viscosity controlling | emulsifying |
| what‑it‑does | soothing |
One of the active parts of Chamomile that is used in skincare as a nice anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredient.
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| what‑it‑does | antioxidant | soothing | moisturizer/humectant |
Ectoin is a surprisingly well-researched, multi-functional active that can do from pollution & light protection to skin hydration, soothing, and barrier repair, several things to your skin. It is an extremolyte, a small stress-protection molecule that protects microorganisms living under extreme conditions such as
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| what‑it‑does | viscosity controlling |
A polymer that helps to thicken up products and stabilize oil-in-water emulsions.
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| what‑it‑does | antioxidant |
| irritancy, com. | 0-3, 0-3 |
Pure Vitamin E. Great antioxidant that gives significant photoprotection against UVB rays. Works in synergy with Vitamin C.
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| what‑it‑does | emollient | emulsifying |
It's the chemically chopped up version of normal lecithin. Most often it's used to create liposomes and to coat and stabilize some other ingredient.
| what‑it‑does | soothing | antioxidant | antimicrobial/antibacterial |
With Hazel - loaded with active components (hamamelitannin, catechins, gallic acid) that have astringent, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant or anti-bacterial properties. Also well-known vasoconstrictor and promotes skin healing.
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| what‑it‑does | antioxidant | soothing |
Ginger extract that has antioxidant and soothing properties. It is also known to increase blood circulation and thus have a toning effect.
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| what‑it‑does | solvent |
A multi-functional helper ingredient that acts as a humectant and emollient. It's also a solvent and can boost the effectiveness of preservatives.
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| what‑it‑does | viscosity controlling |
A helper ingredient that helps to thicken up formulas and form a nice gel texture. It leaves a rich, elegant feel with a velvety finish on the skin.
| what‑it‑does | emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing |
A 100% vegetable origin emulsifier that usually comes to the formula with its buddy called C14-22 Alcohols. The duo is called Montanov L and two together help to create ultra-soft light formulas.
| what‑it‑does | preservative | antimicrobial/antibacterial |
| what‑it‑does | antioxidant |
A handy multifunctional ingredient that works as a preservative booster, as well as an antioxidant and soothing agent.
| what‑it‑does | emollient | moisturizer/humectant |
A thick, high molecular weight silicone that is usually diluted in a lighter silicone fluid. The dimethiconol containing silicone blends leave a silky smooth, non-greasy film on the skin.
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| what‑it‑does | viscosity controlling |
A big polymer (a molecule from repeated subunits) with crazy water binding abilities. Used as a thickening and emulsion stabilizing agent.
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| what‑it‑does | moisturizer/humectant |
Sugar - as a skincare ingredient it has water-binding properties, which means that it helps to keep your skin nice and hydrated.
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| what‑it‑does | preservative |
Pretty much the current IT-preservative. It’s safe and gentle, and can be used up to 1% worldwide.
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| what‑it‑does | emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing |
A mildly viscous, amber-colored liquid that works as an emulsifier and surfactant.
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| what‑it‑does | soothing | emollient | moisturizer/humectant |
The extract coming from the juice containing leaves of the Aloe vera plant with moisturizing, emollient and anti-inflammatory properties.
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| what‑it‑does | soothing | antioxidant | moisturizer/humectant |
| what‑it‑does | moisturizer/humectant | solvent |
| irritancy, com. | 0, 1 |
An often used glycol that works as a solvent, humectant, penetration enhancer and also gives a good slip to the products.
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| what‑it‑does | soothing | antioxidant |
Purslane Extract - a traditional Korean medicinal plant with skin-soothing, antioxidant and wound healing abilities.
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| what‑it‑does | antioxidant | anti-acne |
The sodium salt form of skincare superstar, vitamin C. If you do not know what the big fuss about vitamin C is, you are missing out and you have to click here and read all the geeky details about it.
Pure vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid, AA) is great and all, but its lack of stability is a big challenge for the cosmetics industry.
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| what‑it‑does | viscosity controlling |
A kind of polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) that helps to create beautiful gel-like textures. It's also a texturizer and thickener for oil-in-water emulsions.
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| what‑it‑does | soothing | skin brightening |
You might know licorice as a sweet treat from your childhood, but it's actually a legume that grows around the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, central and southern Russia.
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| what‑it‑does | chelating |
Super common little helper ingredient that helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time. It does so by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes.
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| what‑it‑does | perfuming |
The generic term for nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. It is made up of 30 to 50 chemicals on average.
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| what‑it‑does | surfactant/cleansing |
Super common ingredient in all kinds of cleansing products: face and body washes, shampoos and foam baths. Number one reason for its popularity has to do with bubbles.
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| what‑it‑does | preservative |
A preservative that works mainly against fungi. Has to be combined with other preservatives.
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| what‑it‑does | antioxidant |
| irritancy, com. | 0, 0 |
A form of vitamin E that works as an antioxidant. Compared to the pure form it's more stable, has longer shelf life, but it's also more poorly absorbed by the skin.
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