Phenyl Trimethicone
What-it-does: emollient
A silicone fluid that gives anonoily, easy to spread emolliencyto the formulas. It is also used as a water repellent additive and to reduce the tackiness and stickiness of otheringredients. It also imparts gloss, softness and better manageability to hair.
Synthetic Wax
What-it-does: emollient, viscosity controlling
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Dimethicone
What-it-does: emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1
Probably themost 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 thickliquid.
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'snice). There are also scar treatment gels out there using dimethicone as their base ingredient. It helps to soften scars and increase their elasticity.
As for hair care, it is a non-volatile silicone meaning that it stays on the hair rather than evaporates from it andsmoothes the hairlike no other thing. Depending on your hair type, it can bea bit difficult to wash out and might cause some build-up (btw, this is not true to all silicones, only the non-volatile types).
Isohexadecane
What-it-does: emollient, solvent
A light, velvety, unique skin feel liquid that is a good solvent and also makes the skin feel nice and smooth (aka emollient). It's often used in makeup products mixed with silicones to give shine and slip to the product. It's also great forcleansing dirt and oil from the skin as well as for taking off make-up.
Dibutyl Adipate
What-it-does: emollient, solvent
A clear, colorless, odorless oily liquid that makes the formula easily spreadable and also makes the skin nice and smooth (emollient). It's especially helpful in sunscreensas it can help to solubilizeUV filters.
Propylheptyl Caprylate
What-it-does: emollient
Acrystal clear, oily liquid that makes your skin nice and smooth, aka emollient. It is fast-spreading and leaves a luxurious,silky-soft after-feel. It is also ideal for sunscreen products as it can enhance the solubility of crystalline UV filters.
Silica
What-it-does: viscosity controlling, absorbent/mattifier
A white powdery thing that's the major component of glass and sand. In cosmetics, it’s often in products that are supposed to keep your skin matte as it has great oil-absorbing abilities. It’s also used as a helper ingredient to thicken up productsorsuspendinsoluble particles.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
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 andeasy to formulate with. No wonder it’s popular.
Hydrogenated Polydecene
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 anon-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 forbaby care products.
Hydrogenated Styrene/Methylstyrene/Indene Copolymer
What-it-does: viscosity controlling
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Caprylyl Methicone
What-it-does: emollient
A clear, colorless, low viscosity, volatile (does not absorb into the skin but rather evaporates from it) silicone fluid that has excellent spreadability and leaves a light, silky and smooth feel on the skin.
According to manufacturer info, its big advantage is that it's compatible both with other silicones and with natural plant oils, so it's a great ingredient to formulate products with good-sounding, consumer-pleasing vegetable oils but still maintain a cosmetically elegant, non-greasy and non-tacky feel.
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Aspherical texturizing powder that's used as a texture enhancerand soft focus agent. It's claimed to give silicone type softness to the formula and also works as a (temporary) wrinkle filler.
Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Also-called: Synthetic Mica | What-it-does: viscosity controlling
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is the synthetic version of the super commonly used mineral, Mica. The advantage of being synthetic is that it has amore consistent quality, fewer impurities and an even lower heavy metal content than Mica (not that Mica's heavy metal content is high). It is also more transparent and has improved light reflection.
The two main use cases forSynthetic Fluorphlogopite is being used neat as a superior "filler" orskin tone enhancer or it can also serve as a base for multi-layered, composite pigments such as pearl effect pigments where it is coated with one or more layers of metal oxide, most commonly titanium dioxide.
Paraffin
What-it-does: viscosity controlling, perfuming
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride
What-it-does: emollient
A vegetable origin emollient that has a similar consistency to lard (solid at room temperature) but melts rapidly upon contact with the skin. It's claimed to have great skin compatibility, penetrates easily, does not feel tacky or heavy on the skin and does not leave a greasy shine.
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Aluminum Hydroxide
What-it-does: emollient, moisturizer/humectant, viscosity controlling
Officially, CosIng (the official EU ingredient database) lists Aluminum Hydroxide 's functions as opacifying(making the product white and non-transparent), as well as emollient and skin protectant.
However, with a little bit of digging, it turns out Aluminum Hyroxide often moonlights as a protective coating for UV filter superstar Titanium Dioxide. Specifically, it protects our skin from the harmful effects of nasty Reactive Oxygen Species (free radicals derived from oxygen such as Superoxide and Hydrogen Peroxide)generated when Titanium Dioxide is exposed to UV light. Btw, chlorine inswimming pool waterdepletes this protective coating, so one more reason to reapply your sunscreen after a dip in the pool on holiday.
Other than that,Aluminum Hydroxide also often shows up in composite pigment technologies where it is used the other way around (as the base material and not as the coating material) and helps to achieve higher color coverage with less pigment.
Acrylates/Stearyl Acrylate/Dimethicone Methacrylate Copolymer
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Diisostearyl Malate
What-it-does: emollient, surfactant/cleansing
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Diphenyl Dimethicone
What-it-does: emollient, emulsifying
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
What-it-does: emulsifying
A so-called dispersant or dispersing agent that's used in inorganic (titanium dioxide/zinc oxidebased) sunscreens or in make-up products to help to distribute the pigments nicely and evenly on the skin. It's also claimed to increase the UV absorption of the sunscreen formula as well as to reduce the annoying white cast left behind by inorganic sunscreens.
Caprylyl Glycol
What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant, emollient, deodorant
It’s a handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel. At the same time, it also boosts the effectiveness of other preservatives, such as the nowadays super commonly used phenoxyethanol.
The blend of these two (caprylyl glycol + phenoxyethanol) is called Optiphen, which not only helps to keep your cosmetics free from nasty things for a long time but also gives a good feel to the finished product. It's a popular duo.
Glyceryl Caprylate
What-it-does: preservative
A 100% plant derived, natural (Ecocert approved) multi-functional ingredient that has emollient and moisturizing properties, can work as a co-emulsifier (meaning that next to other emulsifiers it can help water and oil to mix) and even more importantly has a strong antimicrobial activity.
Thanks to this last thing, it allows a lower percentage of traditional preservative or it might even be able to completelyreplace them.
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil - icky
Also-called: Bergamot Fruit Oil | What-it-does: perfuming
Theessential oilcoming from the fruit (probably the rind) of thebergamot orange.It's acommon top notein perfumes and contains (among others)fragrant compoundslimonene (37%),linalyl acetate (30%) and linalool (8.8%).
A well-known issue with bergamot oil (apart from the fragrance allergens) is that it contains phototoxiccompounds calledfuranocoumarins, but more and more commonlyfuranocoumarin-free versions are used in cosmetic products. Still, if you have sensitive skin and prefer fragrance-free products, bergamot oil is not for you.
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Extract
What-it-does: perfuming
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit/Seed Oil
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Tocopherol - goodie
Also-called: Vitamin E | What-it-does: antioxidant | Irritancy: 0-3 | Comedogenicity: 0-3
- Primary fat-soluble antioxidant in our skin
- Significant photoprotection against UVB rays
- Vit C + Vit E work in synergy and provide great photoprotection
- Has emollient properties
- Easy to formulate, stable and relatively inexpensive
Read all the geeky details about Tocopherol here >>
Titanium Dioxide/Ci 77891
Also-called: Ci 77891 | What-it-does: colorant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
Ci 77891 is the color code of titaniumdioxide.It's a white pigment with great color consistency and dispersibility.
Iron Oxide/Ci 77491
Also-called: Iron Oxide Red;Ci 77491 | What-it-does: colorant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
Red Iron Oxide is the super common pigment that gives the familiar, "rust" red color. It is also the one that gives the pink tones in your foundation. Chemically speaking, it is iron III oxide (Fe2O3).
Iron Oxide Ci 77492
Also-called: Iron Oxide Yellow;Ci 77492 | What-it-does: colorant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
Yellow Iron Oxide is the super common inorganic (as in no carbon atom in the molecule) pigment that gives the yellow tones in your foundation. Blended with red and black iron oxides, it is essential in all "flesh-toned" makeup products.
Chemically speaking, it is hydrated iron III oxide and depending on the conditions of manufacture, it can range from a light lemon to an orange-yellow shade.
Iron Oxide Ci 77499
Also-called: Iron Oxide Black;Ci 77499 | What-it-does: colorant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
Black Iron Oxide is thesuper common inorganic(as in no carbon atom in the molecule)pigmentthat controls the darkness of your foundation or gives the blackness to your mascara. Blended with red and black iron oxides, it is essential in all "flesh-toned" makeup products.
Chemically speaking, it is a mixture of iron II and iron III oxide. Btw, this guy, unlike the yellow and red pigments, is magnetic.
