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SU:M37 Losec Summa Elixir Emulsion

Losec Summa Elixir Emulsion

Softly applies and smoothly wraps around the skin for long lasting dewy, radiant skin concentrated emulsion.
Uploaded by: joschristensen on

Ingredients overview

Water, Glycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Butylene Glycol, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Betaine, Panthenol, PEG-5 Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Lactobacillus Ferment, PEG-100 Stearate, Behenic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Arachidyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Squalane, Tromethamine, Isoamyl Laurate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Phytosteryl/​Isostearyl/​Cetyl/​Stearyl/​Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Myristic Acid, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Arachidyl Glucoside, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Adenosine, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Mica, Titanium Dioxide(Ci 77891), Trisodium EDTA, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil, Vinegar, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Wine Extract, Azadirachta Indica Leaf Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Iron Oxides(Ci 77491), Cholesterol, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Saccharomyces/​Grape Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/​Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Xanthan Gum, Jasminum Sambac (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil, Yeast Ferment Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Lactobacillus/​Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Flower/​Leaf/​Stem Extract, Fraxinus Excelsior Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Nigella Sativa Seed Extract, Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Cymbopogon Citratus Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruit Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Fruit/​Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces/​Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/​Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/​Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/​Rye Flour Ferment, Lactobacillus/​Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/​Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/​Xylinum/​Black Tea Ferment, Monascus/​Rice Ferment, Lactobacillus/​Water Hyacinth Ferment, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Valeriana Officinalis Rhizome/​Root Extract, Honey Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract, Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract, Akebia Quinata Extract, Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract, Crataegus Cuneata Fruit Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract, Sasa Veitchii Leaf Extract, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Glechoma Hederacea Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Flower Extract, Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract, Allium Sativum (Garlic) Bulb Extract, Brassica Rapa (Turnip) Leaf Extract, Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Platycodon Grandiflorum Root Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/​Leaf/​Stem Extract, Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Leaf Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract, Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract, Melissa Officinalis Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata (Cabbage) Leaf Extract, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Geranium Robertianum Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Plantago Major Seed Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract

Highlights

#alcohol-free
Alcohol Free

Key Ingredients

Antioxidant: Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Wine Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/​Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Monascus/​Rice Ferment, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract, Platycodon Grandiflorum Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract

Skim through

Ingredient name what-it-does irr., com. ID-Rating
Water solvent
Glycerin skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 superstar
Triethylhexanoin emollient, perfuming
Hydrogenated Polydecene emollient, perfuming, solvent
Butylene Glycol moisturizer/​humectant, solvent 0, 1
Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract antioxidant, soothing, skin brightening, perfuming goodie
Dimethicone emollient 0, 1
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene emollient, viscosity controlling 2, 1
1,2-Hexanediol solvent
Hydrogenated Lecithin emollient, emulsifying goodie
Betaine moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Panthenol soothing, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 goodie
PEG-5 Glyceryl Stearate emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol emollient, viscosity controlling, emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing 2, 2
Glyceryl Stearate emollient, emulsifying 0, 1-2
Lactobacillus Ferment soothing, preservative goodie
PEG-100 Stearate surfactant/​cleansing, emulsifying 0, 0
Behenic Acid surfactant/​cleansing, emulsifying 0, 0
Behenyl Alcohol emollient, viscosity controlling
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol emollient, viscosity controlling, emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing 1, 2
Stearic Acid emollient, viscosity controlling 0, 2-3
Arachidyl Alcohol emollient, viscosity controlling
Carbomer viscosity controlling 0, 1
Squalane skin-identical ingredient, emollient 0, 1 goodie
Tromethamine buffering
Isoamyl Laurate emollient
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil perfuming icky
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter emollient goodie
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate viscosity controlling
Myristic Acid surfactant/​cleansing, emulsifying, perfuming 0, 3
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Arachidyl Glucoside emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing
Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil perfuming icky
Adenosine cell-communicating ingredient goodie
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil antioxidant, perfuming, antimicrobial/​antibacterial icky
Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract soothing
Mica colorant
Titanium Dioxide(Ci 77891) colorant 0, 0
Trisodium EDTA chelating
Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil perfuming
Vinegar
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant
Wine Extract antioxidant
Azadirachta Indica Leaf Extract
Artemisia Annua Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Ceramide NP skin-identical ingredient goodie
Iron Oxides(Ci 77491) colorant 0, 0
Cholesterol skin-identical ingredient, emollient 0, 0 goodie
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil perfuming icky
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil antimicrobial/​antibacterial, perfuming icky
Pogostemon Cablin Oil perfuming
Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract
Saccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract
Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract antioxidant
Xanthan Gum viscosity controlling
Jasminum Sambac (Jasmine) Flower Extract perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil
Yeast Ferment Extract
Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract
Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract exfoliant goodie
Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract
Hypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Fraxinus Excelsior Leaf Extract
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract surfactant/​cleansing
Nigella Sativa Seed Extract perfuming
Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract perfuming
Cymbopogon Citratus Extract
Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruit Extract emollient, soothing
Marrubium Vulgare Extract soothing
Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Fruit/Leaf Extract
Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate moisturizer/​humectant
Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate moisturizer/​humectant
Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment
Lactobacillus/Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Monascus/Rice Ferment antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment
Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract surfactant/​cleansing
Valeriana Officinalis Rhizome/Root Extract soothing
Honey Extract moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract antimicrobial/​antibacterial, antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/​humectant, perfuming
Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract
Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant
Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract
Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract antioxidant
Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract
Akebia Quinata Extract
Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract
Crataegus Cuneata Fruit Extract
Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract soothing
Houttuynia Cordata Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract
Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract emollient
Sasa Veitchii Leaf Extract
Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract
Glechoma Hederacea Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract soothing, antioxidant, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract soothing, antioxidant 0, 0 goodie
Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract antioxidant goodie
Equisetum Arvense Extract soothing, emollient
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract skin brightening, antioxidant
Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract
Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/​humectant
Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract
Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/​humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Flower Extract
Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract
Allium Sativum (Garlic) Bulb Extract
Brassica Rapa (Turnip) Leaf Extract
Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract antimicrobial/​antibacterial
Portulaca Oleracea Extract soothing, antioxidant goodie
Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract antioxidant, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract soothing, emollient goodie
Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract
Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract
Acorus Calamus Root Extract perfuming
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract
Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract
Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract abrasive/​scrub, moisturizer/​humectant
Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract
Platycodon Grandiflorum Root Extract antioxidant
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract perfuming
Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Leaf Extract
Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract soothing, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract perfuming
Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract antioxidant, soothing, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract
Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract
Melissa Officinalis Extract
Brassica Oleracea Capitata (Cabbage) Leaf Extract
Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract
Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract
Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract
Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract soothing, skin brightening superstar
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract antioxidant
Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract
Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract
Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract antioxidant, emollient goodie
Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract antioxidant
Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Geranium Robertianum Extract
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Cichorium Intybus (Chicory) Root Extract
Lentinus Edodes Extract
Plantago Major Seed Extract
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract

SU:M37 Losec Summa Elixir Emulsion
Ingredients explained

Also-called: Aqua | What-it-does: solvent

Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product. 

It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water. 

Glycerin - superstar
Also-called: Glycerol | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
  • A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  • A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  • Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
  • Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  • High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin
Read all the geeky details about Glycerin here >>

What-it-does: emollient, perfuming

Triethylhexanoin is a colorless to pale yellow liquid ester that makes the skin nice and smooth, aka emollient. It has a pleasant non-sticky, non-greasy feel to it, gives formulas smooth application properties and also helps moisture retention. 

Also-called: Alphaflow | What-it-does: emollient, perfuming, solvent

A hydrocarbon-based emollient that can come in different viscosities from silky-light through satiny-smooth to luxurious, rich. It forms a non-occlusive film on the surface of the skin and brings gloss without greasiness to the formula. It's a very pure and hypoallergenic emollient that's also ideal for baby care products. 

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant, solvent | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1

Butylene glycol, or let’s just call it BG, is a multi-tasking colorless, syrupy liquid. It’s a great pick for creating a nice feeling product.  

BG’s main job is usually to be a solvent for the other ingredients. Other tasks include helping the product to absorb faster and deeper into the skin (penetration enhancer), making the product spread nicely over the skin (slip agent), and attracting water (humectant) into the skin.

Also-called: Turmeric Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, skin brightening, perfuming

Turmeric is the yellow spice you probably know from curry and Indian food. It's also a traditional herbal medicine used in Ayurveda for its bunch of anti-something magic abilities including being anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic. 

As for turmeric and skincare, we have good news: studies show that the root extract and its main biologically active component, curcumin can do multiple good things for the skin. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, it shows some promise for acne-prone skin and a small study from 2013 showed that it might be able to regulate sebum production

What-it-does: emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1

Probably the most common silicone of all. It is a polymer (created from repeating subunits) molecule and has different molecular weight and thus different viscosity versions from water-light to thick liquid.

As for skincare, it makes the skin silky smooth, creates a subtle gloss and forms a protective barrier (aka occlusive). Also, works well to fill in fine lines and wrinkles and give skin a plump look (of course that is only temporary, but still, it's nice). There are also scar treatment gels out there using dimethicone as their base ingredient. It helps to soften scars and increase their elasticity. 

What-it-does: emollient, viscosity controlling | Irritancy: 2 | Comedogenicity: 1

A synthetic liquid oil that can replace mineral oil or silicone oils in the cosmetic formulas. There are different grades depending on the molecular weight ranging from very light, volatile, non-residue leaving ones to more substantial, slight residue leaving ones.

Apart from leaving the skin soft and smooth (emollient), it's also used as a waterproofing agent in sunscreens or makeup products and as a shine enhancer in lip gloss formulas. 

What-it-does: solvent

A really multi-functional helper ingredient that can do several things in a skincare product: it can bring a soft and pleasant feel to the formula, it can act as a humectant and emollient, it can be a solvent for some other ingredients (for example it can help to stabilize perfumes in watery products) and it can also help to disperse pigments more evenly in makeup products. And that is still not all: it can also boost the antimicrobial activity of preservatives

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 other ingredients. 

Betaine - goodie
What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

A sugar beet-derived amino acid derivative with nice skin protection and moisturization properties. Betaine's special thing is being an osmolyte, a molecule that helps to control cell-water balance.  It is also a natural osmoprotectant, meaning that it attracts water away from the protein surface and thus protects them from denaturation and increases their thermodynamic stability. 

It also gives sensorial benefits to the formula and when used in cleansers, it helps to make them milder and gentler. 

Panthenol - goodie
Also-called: Pro-Vitamin B5 | What-it-does: soothing, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

An easy-to-formulate, commonly used, nice to have ingredient that’s also called pro-vitamin B5. As you might guess from the “pro” part, it’s a precursor to vitamin B5 (whose fancy name is pantothenic acid). 

Its main job in skincare products is to moisturise the skin. It’s a humectant meaning that it can help the skin to attract water and then hold onto it. There is also research showing that panthenol can help our skin to produce more lovely lipids that are important for a strong and healthy skin barrier. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: emollient, viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilising, emulsifying, surfactant/cleansing | Irritancy: 2 | Comedogenicity: 2

A handy multi-tasker, white to light yellowish oil-loving wax that works very well in oil-in-water emulsions.  It makes your skin feel nice and smooth (emollient),  stabilizes oil-water mixes and gives body to them.

Oh, and one more thing: it's a so-called fatty alcohol - the good, emollient type of alcohol that is non-drying and non-irritating. It is often mixed with fellow fatty alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, and the mixture is called Cetearyl Alcohol in the ingredient list. 

What-it-does: emollient, emulsifying | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1-2

A super common, waxy, white, solid stuff that helps water and oil to mix together, gives body to creams and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth.

Chemically speaking, it is the attachment of a glycerin molecule to the fatty acid called stearic acid. It can be produced from most vegetable oils (in oils three fatty acid molecules are attached to glycerin instead of just one like here) in a pretty simple, "green" process that is similar to soap making. It's readily biodegradable.

What-it-does: soothing, preservative

Lactobacillus ferment is an interesting probiotic ingredient with some promising properties. 

First, according to a 2009 Estee Lauder patent, it’s a DNA repair enzyme and it can help to protect the skin against environmental aggressors.

What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing, emulsifying | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

A very common water-loving surfactant and emulsifier that helps to keep water and oil mixed nicely together. 

It's often paired with glyceryl stearate - the two together form a super effective emulsifier duo that's salt and acid tolerant and works over a wide pH range. It also gives a "pleasing product aesthetics", so no wonder it's popular.

What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing, emulsifying | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

A fatty alcohol (the non-drying type with a long oil loving chain of 22 carbon atoms) that is used to increase the viscosity of the formula and it also helps the oily and the watery parts to stay nicely mixed together (called emulsion stabilizing). 

What-it-does: emollient

A super common emollient that makes your skin feel nice and smooth. It comes from coconut oil and glycerin, it’s light-textured, clear, odorless and non-greasy. It’s a nice ingredient that just feels good on the skin, is super well tolerated by every skin type and easy to formulate with. No wonder it’s popular. 

What-it-does: emollient, viscosity controlling, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, surfactant/cleansing | Irritancy: 1 | Comedogenicity: 2

An extremely common multitasker ingredient that gives your skin a nice soft feel (emollient) and gives body to creams and lotions. It also helps to stabilize oil-water mixes (emulsions), though it does not function as an emulsifier in itself. Its typical use level in most cream type formulas is 2-3%.  

It’s a so-called fatty alcohol, a mix of cetyl and stearyl alcohol, other two emollient fatty alcohols.  Though chemically speaking, it is alcohol (as in, it has an -OH group in its molecule), its properties are totally different from the properties of low molecular weight or drying alcohols such as denat. alcohol. Fatty alcohols have a long oil-soluble (and thus emollient) tail part that makes them absolutely non-drying and non-irritating and are totally ok for the skin.

What-it-does: emollient, viscosity controlling | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 2-3

A common multi-tasker fatty acid. It makes your skin feel nice and smooth (emollient), gives body to cream type products and helps to stabilize water and oil mixes (aka emulsions).

A fatty alcohol (the non-drying type with a long oil loving chain of 20 carbon atoms) that is used to increase the viscosity of the formula and it also helps the oily and the watery parts to stay nicely mixed together (called emulsion stabilizing). 

What-it-does: viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilising | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1

A big molecule created from repeated subunits (a polymer of acrylic acid) that magically converts a liquid into a nice gel formula.  It usually has to be neutralized with a base (such as sodium hydroxide) for the thickening to occur and it creates viscous, clear gels that also feel nice and non-tacky on the skin. No wonder, it is a very popular and common ingredient. Typically used at 1% or less in most formulations.

Squalane - goodie
What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1

It seems to us that squalane is in fashion and there is a reason for it. Chemically speaking, it is a saturated  (no double bonds) hydrocarbon (a molecule consisting only of carbon and hydrogen), meaning that it's a nice and stable oily liquid with a long shelf life. 

It occurs naturally in certain fish and plant oils (e.g. olive), and in the sebum (the oily stuff our skin produces) of the human skin. As f.c. puts it in his awesome blog post, squalane's main things are "emolliency, surface occlusion, and TEWL prevention all with extreme cosmetic elegance". In other words, it's a superb moisturizer that makes your skin nice and smooth, without being heavy or greasy.

What-it-does: buffering

It's a little helper ingredient that helps to set the pH of the products to be right. It has an alkaline pH and can neutralize acidic ingredients.

What-it-does: emollient

A naturally derived (Ecocert approved) colorless to yellowish oily liquid that's touted as a natural silicone alternative. It's claimed to have great sensorial properties: light but caring, velvety, silky and non-sticky.

It's also great at dissolving UV-filters in sunscreens or dispersing pigments in makeup products. You can also bump into Isoamyl Laurate in hair care products as a hair conditioner that makes combing easier without build up.

Also-called: Bergamot Fruit Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

The essential oil coming from the fruit (probably the rind) of the bergamot orange.  It's a common top note in perfumes and contains (among others) fragrant compounds limonene (37%), linalyl acetate (30%) and linalool (8.8%). 

A well-known issue with bergamot oil (apart from the fragrance allergens) is that it contains phototoxic compounds called furanocoumarins, but more and more commonly furanocoumarin-free versions are used in cosmetic products. Still, if you have sensitive skin and prefer fragrance-free products, bergamot oil is not for you.

Also-called: Shea Butter | What-it-does: emollient

Unless you live under a rock you must have heard about shea butter. It's probably the most hyped up natural butter in skincare today. It comes from the seeds of African Shea or Karite Trees and used as a magic moisturizer and emollient.

But it's not only a simple emollient, it regenerates and soothes the skin, protects it from external factors (such as UV rays or wind) and is also rich in antioxidants (among others vitamin A, E, F, quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate). If you are looking for rich emollient benefits + more, shea is hard to beat. 

What-it-does: viscosity controlling

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing, emulsifying, perfuming | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 3

A 14 carbon length fatty acid that can be naturally found in nutmeg, palm kernel oil, coconut oil and butter fat. It's used as a foam building cleansing agent. Paula Begoun writes that it can be a bit drying to the skin. 

Also-called: Acai Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

An ingredient that is created from the attachment of the water-loving sugar molecule, glucose, and an oil-loving 20 carbon long fatty chain. This makes it a partly water- and partly oil-soluble material, meaning it functions as an emulsifier helping oil and water to mix.  

Most often, it comes to the formula coupled with two fatty alcohol friends, Arachidyl and Behenyl alcohol, to make up an emulsifier trio trade named Montanov 202. As described by its manufacturer, the main thing of Montanonv 202 is that it gives creams a unique evanescent and light feel with a matt finish. It also leaves the skin soft, but not oily, is hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic making it perfect for both oily and sensitive skin formulas. 

Also-called: Grapefruit Peel Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

The essential oil coming from the rind of the grapefruit. In general, the main component of citrus peel oils is limonene (86-95% for grapefruit peel), a super common fragrant ingredient that makes everything smell nice (but counts as a frequent skin sensitizer).

Other than that, citrus peel also contains the problematic compound called furanocoumarin that makes them mildly phototoxic. In general, the more sour-bitter the fruit, the more problematic it is regarding phototoxicity: orange and clementine peel contain less of it while lemon, grapefruit, and bergamot contain some more. Be careful with it if it is in a product for daytime use.  

Adenosine - goodie

Adenosine is an important little compound in our body that has a vital cell-signalling role. Research on smearing it on our face is also promising and shows so far a couple of things:

  • It can help with wound healing
  • It’s a good anti-inflammatory agent
  • It might even help with skin’s own collagen production and improve skin firmness and elasticity
  • It helps with barrier repair and protection
  • It might be even useful for the hair helping with hair thickness and hair growth
Also-called: Damask Rose Flower Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, perfuming, antimicrobial/antibacterial

We are big fans of all kinds of roses as ornamental plants but when it comes to skincare, it is a mixed bag. Before we list out the good and the not so good, here is an interesting thing. 

The oil content in rose is very, very low so distilling rose essential oil requires huge amounts of rose flowers. It has such a wonderful scent that there are no comparable synthetic alternatives. You can probably guess that this means rose essential oil is expensive.... very very expensive

Also-called: Blueberry Extract | What-it-does: soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: CI 77019 | What-it-does: colorant

A super versatile and common mineral powder that comes in different particle sizes. It is a multi-tasker used to improve skin feel, increase product slip, give the product light-reflecting properties, enhance skin adhesion or serve as an anti-caking agent.

It is also the most commonly used "base" material for layered composite pigments such as pearl-effect pigments. In this case, mica is coated with one or more metal oxides (most commonly titanium dioxide) to achieve pearl effect via the physical phenomenon known as interference. 

Also-called: Titanium Dioxide/Ci 77891;Ci 77891 | What-it-does: colorant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

Ci 77891 is the color code of titanium dioxide. It's a white pigment with great color consistency and dispersibility.

What-it-does: chelating

A common helper ingredient that works as a so-called chelating agent.  It helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Acetum

The thing that you put on your salad with some olive oil. But in a more scientific sense vinegar is usually a 5% solution of acetic acid. It's used in cosmetic products to adjust pH. Larg amounts of vinegar on the skin could be irritating and drying.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Neem Leaf Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Green Tea | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing
  • Green tea is one of the most researched natural ingredients
  • The active parts are called polyphenols, or more precisely catechins (EGCG being the most abundant and most active catechin)
  • There can be huge quality differences between green tea extracts. The good ones contain 50-90% catechins (and often make the product brown and give it a distinctive smell)
  • Green tea is proven to be a great antioxidant, UV protectant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial
  • Because of these awesome properties green tea is a great choice for anti-aging and also for skin diseases including rosacea, acne and atopic dermatitis
Read all the geeky details about Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract here >>

Ceramide NP - goodie
Also-called: Ceramide 3 | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient

One of the many types of ceramides that can be found naturally in the upper layer of the skin. Ceramides make up about 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. It works even better when combined with its pal, Ceramide 1.

We wrote way more about ceramides at ceramide 1, so click here to know more.

Also-called: Ci 77491/77492/77499 | What-it-does: colorant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

A bit of a sloppy ingredient name as it covers not one but three pigments: red, yellow and black iron oxide.

The trio is invaluable for "skin-colored" makeup products  (think your foundation and pressed powder) as blending these three shades carefully can produce almost any shade of natural-looking flesh tones. 

Cholesterol - goodie
What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

It's one of the important lipids that can be found naturally in the outer layer of the skin. About 25% of the goopy stuff between our skin cells consists of cholesterol. Together with ceramides and fatty acids, they play a vital role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated. 

Apart from being an important skin-identical ingredient, it's also an emollient and stabilizer

Also-called: Ylang Ylang Essential Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

Sweet, exotic and floral, it’ no surprise that Ylang Ylang is a popular essential oil. It is coming from the yellow, fragrant flowers of the Cananga tree native to tropical Asia and, similar to other essential oils, it is a chemically complex mixture with several pros and cons. 

Unfortunately, these are a bit tricky to pin down as the composition varies largely depending on where it is sourced, how the oil is extracted and the grade of it that is used in the product, but we’ll do our best!

Also-called: Lavender Essential Oil | What-it-does: antimicrobial/antibacterial, perfuming

We have to start by writing how fascinated we are by the amazing lavender fields of Provance and we do love pretty much everything about lavender: its look, its color, its scent.... but, when it comes to skincare, lavender is a questionable ingredient that you probably do not want in your skincare products.

First, let us start with the pros: it has a lovely scent, so no wonder that it is popular as a fragrance ingredient in natural products wanting to be free from synthetic fragrances but still wanting to smell nice. The scent of lavender is famous for having calming and relaxing properties and some smallish scientific studies do support that. Inhaled volatile compounds seem to have a soothing effect on the central nervous system and studies have shown that lavender aromatherapy can improve patient's anxiety and experience in hospitals.   

Also-called: Patchouli Essential Oil;Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

If you are into perfumes, you must know patchouli as an important essential oil in the perfume industry. It boasts a pleasant woody, earthy and camphoraceous scent and has fixative properties (makes the fragrance long-lasting).

Its composition is pretty unique: it does not contain any of the EU's 26 most common fragrance allergens, but its most important components are patchoulol (30%) and alpha-patchoulene (6%) which are responsible for its aroma and antifungal properties.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

It's one of the most commonly used thickeners and emulsion stabilizers. If the product is too runny, a little xanthan gum will make it more gel-like. Used alone, it can make the formula sticky and it is a good team player so it is usually combined with other thickeners and so-called rheology modifiers (helper ingredients that adjust the flow and thus the feel of the formula). The typical use level of Xantha Gum is below 1%, it is usually in the 0.1-0.5% range. 

Btw, Xanthan gum is all natural, a chain of sugar molecules (polysaccharide) produced from individual sugar molecules (glucose and sucrose) via fermentation. It’s approved by Ecocert and also used in the food industry (E415). 

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Pomegranate Enzyme | What-it-does: exfoliant

It's the fancy name for pomegranate enzyme that's obtained by fermenting the pomegranate fruit with Lactobacil­lus lactis. The fermentation process makes the desired phytochemicals readily available and selective filtration techniques are used to isolate the  proteolytic frac­tions.

The end result is the enzyme that increases cell renewal and can be an alternative to acid exfoliation (though it is not as effective as glycolic acid even according to the manufacturer's measurements not to speak about the other benefits of glycolic acid). 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: emollient, soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: NG Kombuchka

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Ginger Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing

The extract coming from ginger, the lovely spice that we all know from the kitchen. It is also a medicinal plant used both in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for pretty much everything you can imagine (muscular pain, sore throat, nausea, fever or cramps,  just to give a few examples).

As for ginger and skincare, the root extract contains the biologically active component called gingerol that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Combined with Bisabololthe duo works synergistically to sooth the skin and take down redness. 

Also-called: Sage Leaf Extract | What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Honey Extract - goodie
What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

Usually, a glycerin or glycol based extract of honey that has similar properties to pure honey, i.e. moisturizing, soothing and antibacterial magic properties.

If you wanna know more about honey in cosmetics, we have a shiny explanation here >>

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Japanese Plum Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing

Houttuynia cordata is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia. It is eaten as a leaf vegetable, and also has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, including as an attempted treatment for SARS (it didn’t really work). Regarding cosmetics, however, houttuynia cordata extract has a good bit of potential! 

The main active components in the plant are these fancy chemicals called flavonoids. Houttuynia cordata specifically has a good amount of polyphenolic flavonoids, four common ones being quercetin, quercitrin, hyperoside, and rutin. All of these exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. Quercitrin has also been shown to decrease damage from UVB rays, which is an added bonus. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the flavonoid content of this extract can depend on if the extract is taken from the roots or the leaves, as well as if it’s a water extraction or an alcohol extraction.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: emollient

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Gotu Kola, Tiger Grass | 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. Just for hard-core geeks, the main biologically active compounds are pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins called asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic and madecassic acid (also called centellosides).

Also-called: German Chamomile Flower Extract | What-it-does: soothing, antioxidant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

Chamomile probably needs no introduction as it's one of the most widely used medicinal herbs. You probably drink it regularly as a nice, calming cup of tea and it's also a regular on skincare ingredient lists.

Cosmetic companies use it mainly for its anti-inflammatory properties. It contains the terpenoids chamazulene and bisabolol both of which show great anti-inflammatory action in animal studies. On top of that chamomile also has some antioxidant activity (thanks to some other active ingredients called matricine, apigenin and luteolin).  

Also-called: Watermelon Fruit Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant

We love a cold slice of watermelon on a hot summer day and we love watermelon as a skincare ingredient. It's really full of good-for-the-skin stuff: it contains a bunch of vitamins (A, B, C and E), mineral salts (K, Mg, Ca and Fe), amino acids citrulline and arginine and antioxidant carotenoids and phenolics

It's especially rich in potent antioxidant, lycopene (a type of carotenoid), the cool pigment that's responsible for the red color of the watermelon. According to manufacturer info, in-vitro (made in the lab not on real people) studies show that watermelon extract gives significant DNA protection against UV damage. The in-vivo (made on real people) study also confirmed this and the watermelon formula showed 25% increase in skin protection compared to placebo.

Also-called: Horsetail Extract | What-it-does: soothing, emollient, astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Satsuma Mandarin, Satsuma Orange | What-it-does: skin brightening, antioxidant

Out of the more than 900 Citrus species known today, Citrus Unshiu is a seedless, easy to peel tangerine coming from the Japanese town Satsuma. The peel extract used in cosmetics is mainly created from the "press-cake", the by-product of the juice industry and as it turns out, what's waste to one industry is a useful ingredient to another. 

In cosmetics, the main thing of the Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract is being a skin-brightening or whitening agent. In-vitro (made in test tubes) and animal studies both show promising results for inhibiting tyrosinase, the famous enzyme regulating melanin production. It also contains antioxidant components such as carotenoids, coumarins,  limonoids, and flavonoids that might be useful for the skin to protect itself from UV caused damages. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Dandelion Leaf Extract

The extract coming from the leaves of dandelion. It's a folkloric medicine for the treatment of liver and kidney disorders and we could find several studies confirming its liver-protecting, "detoxifying" effect.

What we could not find is information on what dandelion is doing in cosmetic products. Our best info is that it "enhances the clarity of skin" by helping the detoxification of the liver (though we have to admit we are a bit sceptical about this).  

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Garlic Bulb Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Onion Bulb Extract | What-it-does: antimicrobial/antibacterial

You probably meet this guy more often in your kitchen than in the bathroom, but yes, onion extract is also used as a skincare ingredient. Its major skin benefit seems to be that it can improve the cosmetic appearance of postsurgical scars (there is also a scar-fading gel called Mederma, that has hardly anything else in it but onion extract). 

We also saw some manufacturer claims that onion is not only a scar healer, but it has also antibacterial and antifungal activity, it can help to reduce acne and stimulate hair growth

Also-called: Purslane Extract | What-it-does: soothing, antioxidant

Portulaca Oleracea is a nice succulent with bright yellow flowers and edible nutritious vegetables. It's a famous plant in Korean traditional medicine to treat infection and irritated skin.

Modern research confirms that it's loaded with skin-goodies: it's the richest green plant source of omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid), contains NMFs (polysaccharides and amino acids),  vitamins (β-carotene), minerals, and antioxidants (yellow betaxanthins and reddish betacyanins). Thanks to all its beneficial components, Purslane Extract has several magic properties: it's a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent and also has wound healing abilities

Also-called: Beet Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, moisturizer/humectant

Beetroot is a beautifully colored vegetable that you probably know from the kitchen. As for skincare - according to manufacturer info - it works as a natural moisturizer that might be able to increase the concentration of NMFs (natural moisturizing factors) in the upper layer of the skin giving skin both immediate and longer term hydration. 

According to Paula's Choice, it's also a colorant and a source of antioxidants

Also-called: Cucumber Fruit Extract | What-it-does: soothing, emollient

Cucumber is a nice, non-irritating plant extract that’s known for it’s soothing and emollient properties. It’s not something new to put it on our face: even Cleopatra used it to “preserve her skin”.

It’s commonly believed that cucumber is the answer to puffy eyes, but there is no research confirming this. What research does confirm is that it contains amino acids and organic acids that’s helpful for the skin’s acid mantle. There is also an enzyme (called shikimate dehydrigenase) in the pulp that’s shown to have anti-inflammatory properties.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Apple Fruit Extract | What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

Apple needs no introduction as one of the most common fruits on planet Earth. It's not only a healthy fruit snack, it's also a goodie if you put in all over your face. 

It's loaded with proteins, starch, sugars, acids, vitamins and salts. The sugars (mainly fructose, glucose, sucrose) give apple fruit extract nice moisturizing and smoothing properties, while the acids (mainly malic  and gallic acid) give it mild exfoliant, skin brightening and antibacterial properties. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Papaya Fruit Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Japanese Honeysuckle Flower Extract | What-it-does: soothing, antimicrobial/antibacterial

Lonicera Japonica, or Japanese Honeysuckle as normal people call it, is a white-flowered honeysuckle known for being a traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research confirms that the plant has a super complex chemical composition with more than 140 compounds identified with possible anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities.

As for Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract in skin care, it can have two main roles. The first one is being an anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredient, probably due to chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol thought to be the main bioactive component of the flower.

What-it-does: astringent, perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Rosemary Leaf Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, antimicrobial/antibacterial

The extract coming from the lovely herb, rosemary. It contains lots of chemicals, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and diterpenes. Its main active is rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It has also anti-bacterial, astringent and toning properties. 

The leaves contain a small amount of essential oil (1-2%) with fragrant components, so if you are allergic to fragrance, it might be better to avoid it. 

Also-called: Raspberry Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, astringent

Raspberry is one of the colorful berries that’s not only delicious but contains many biologically active, healthy compounds. It has polyphenols including anthocyanins and ellagitannins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

According to skin care expert Paula Begoun, it’s antibacterial as well but due to its tannin content it can cause also irritation to the very sensitive skinned. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Licorice Root;Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract | 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. It's sweet and yellow and not only used for licorice all sorts but it's also a skincare superstar thanks to two magic properties:

Nr. 1 magic property is that it has skin-lightening or to say it another way depigmenting properties. The most active part is called glabridin. The topical application (meaning when you put it on your face) of 0.5% glabridin was shown to inhibit UVB caused pigmentation of guinea pigs. Another study even suggested that licorice is more effective than the gold standard skin-lightening agent hydroquinone. All in all, licorice is considered to be one of the safest skin lightening agents with the fewest side effects.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Carrot Root Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient

The oil-soluble extract coming from the edible, orange part of the carrot. It is created by macerating the carrot root in a carrier oil such as sunflower or olive oil, and the resulting thing (base oil + carrot root extract) is often called carrot oil or carrot root oil. (Not to be confused with carrot seed oil, that can be fixed or essential and comes from the seeds.)

The root extract is known for containing the orange pigment beta-carotene, aka provitamin A. It is a famous molecule for being a potent antioxidant, suntan accelerator and having skin-regenerative abilities. Carrot oil also contains vitamin E and some fatty acids that give the oil further antioxidant and barrier repairing properties. 

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Shiitake Mushroom Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

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A naturally derived (Ecocert approved) oily liquid that's touted as a natural silicone alternative. It's claimed to have great sensorial properties: light but caring, velvety, silky and non-sticky. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
The essential oil coming from the fruit (probably the rind) of the bergamot orange.  It's a common top note in perfumes and contains (among others) fragrant compounds limonene (37%), linalyl acetate (30%) and linalool (8.8%).  A well-known issue with bergamot oil (apart from the fragrance allergens) is that it contains phototoxic  [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
Shea butter that's considered to be a magic moisturizer and emollient. It is also soothing and rich in antioxidants. [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing | emulsifying | perfuming
irritancy, com. 0, 3
A 14 carbon length fatty acid that can be naturally found in nutmeg, palm kernel oil, coconut oil and butter fat. It's used as a foam building cleansing agent. [more]
what‑it‑does emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing
An ingredient that is created from the attachment of the water-loving sugar molecule, glucose, and an oil-loving 20 carbon long fatty chain. This makes it a partly water- and partly oil-soluble material, meaning it functions as an emulsifier helping oil and water to mix.   Most often, it comes to the formula coupled with two fatty alcohol friends, Arachidyl and Behenyl alcohol, to make [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
The essential oil coming from the rind of the grapefruit. Its main component (86-95%) is limonene, the super common fragrant ingredient. [more]
what‑it‑does cell-communicating ingredient
An important compound in our body that has a vital cell-signalling role. It is wound healing, anti-inflammatory and can help with barrier repair. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | perfuming | antimicrobial/antibacterial
Rose essential oil - a super expensive oil with a lovely scent. Has also antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Contains fragrant components that might irritate sensitive skin. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing
what‑it‑does colorant
A mineral powder used to improve skin feel, increase product slip, give the product some light-reflecting properties, enhance skin adhesion or serve as an anti-caking agent. A real multi-tasker. [more]
what‑it‑does colorant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
Titanium dioxide as a colorant. It's a white pigment with great color consistency and dispersibility.
what‑it‑does chelating
A common helper ingredient that works as a so-called chelating agent.  It helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
It's used in cosmetic products to adjust pH. Larg amounts on the skin could be irritating and drying. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
Green Tea - one of the most researched natural ingredients that contains the superstar actives called catechins. It has proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties. [more]
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.  [more]
what‑it‑does colorant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
A mix of red, yellow and black iron oxide. [more]
what‑it‑does skin-identical ingredient | emollient
irritancy, com. 0, 0
It's one of the important lipids that can be found naturally in the outer layer of the skin. About 25% of the goopy stuff between our skin cells consists of cholesterol. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
Sweet, exotic and floral, it’ no surprise that Ylang Ylang is a popular essential oil. It is coming from the yellow, fragrant flowers of the Cananga tree native to tropical Asia and, similar to other essential oils, it is a chemically complex mixture with several pros and cons. Unfortunately, these are a bit tricky to pin down as the composition varies largely depending on where it is so [more]
what‑it‑does antimicrobial/antibacterial | perfuming
Lavender - essential oil with a calming scent and antimicrobial properties. Contains fragrant components (linalyl acetate - 50% and linalool - 35%) and might be cytotoxic from 0.25%. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
Patchouli essential oil that has a woody, earthy and camphoraceous scent and also has fixative properties. Also has fixative and antifungal properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
A super commonly used thickener and emulsion stabilizer. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does exfoliant
Pomegranate Enzyme that is obtained by fermenting the pomegranate fruit. It can increase cell renewal and can be a (less effective) alternative to acid exfoliation. [more]
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does emollient | soothing
what‑it‑does soothing
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
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. [more]
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing
what‑it‑does soothing
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
Usually, a glycerin or glycol based extract of honey that has similar properties to pure honey, i.e. moisturizing, soothing and antibacterial magic properties. If you wanna know more about honey in cosmetics, we have a shiny explanation here >> [more]
what‑it‑does antimicrobial/antibacterial | antioxidant | emollient | moisturizer/humectant | perfuming
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does soothing
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
A flavonoid-rich plant extract known mainly for its soothing and antioxidant properties. [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
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. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | antioxidant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
Chamomile extract - has great anti-inflammatory and some antioxidant properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
Watermelon extract that's full of good-for-the-skin stuff, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. A useful antioxidant-rich ingredient to protect skin from UV-induced damage. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | emollient
what‑it‑does skin brightening | antioxidant
Out of the more than 900 Citrus species known today, Citrus Unshiu is a seedless, easy to peel tangerine coming from the Japanese town Satsuma. The peel extract used in cosmetics is mainly created from the "press-cake", the by-product of the juice industry and as it turns out, what's waste to one industry is a useful ingredient to another. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient | moisturizer/humectant
Dandelion Extract - a folkloric medicine for the treatment of liver and kidney disorders. It's unclear what it does in a cosmetic product. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient | moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antimicrobial/antibacterial
You probably meet this guy more often in your kitchen than in the bathroom, but yes, onion extract is also used as a skincare ingredient. Its major skin benefit seems to be that it can improve the cosmetic appearance of postsurgical scars (there is also a scar-fading gel called Mederma, that has hardly anything else in it but onion extract). [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | antioxidant
Purslane Extract - a traditional Korean medicinal plant with skin-soothing, antioxidant and wound healing abilities. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | moisturizer/humectant
Beetroot is a natural moisturizer, colorant, and antioxidant. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | emollient
Cucumber is a nice, non-irritating plant extract that’s known for it’s soothing and emollient properties. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
Apple fruit extract that's loaded with proteins, starch, sugars, acids, vitamins and salts. The sugars give apple nice moisturizing properties, while the acids give mild exfoliant, skin brightening and antibacterial properties.  [more]
what‑it‑does abrasive/scrub | moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does soothing | antimicrobial/antibacterial
Lonicera Japonica, or Japanese Honeysuckle as normal people call it, is a white-flowered honeysuckle known for being a traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research confirms that the plant has a super complex chemical composition with more than 140 compounds identified with possible anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing | antimicrobial/antibacterial
Rosemary leaf extract - Its main active is rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It has also anti-bacterial, astringent and toning properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
Raspberry is one of the colorful berries that’s not only delicious but contains many biologically active, healthy compounds. It has polyphenols including anthocyanins and ellagitannins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to skin care expert Paula Begoun, it’s antibacterial as well but due to its tannin content it can cause also irritation to the very s [more]
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. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient
The oil-soluble extract coming from the edible, orange part of the carrot. It is created by macerating the carrot root in a carrier oil such as sunflower or olive oil, and the resulting thing (base oil + carrot root extract) is often called carrot oil or carrot root oil. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant