Superserum
SUPERSERUM™ is a silky skin-plumping and exfoliating serum that dissolves dull surface cells and minimizes the appearance of fine lines for instantly smooth, radiant skin. Powered by the Super Six [more] [more] Acid Blend, a high-potency complex of exfoliating AHAs, BHA and PHA, it works on different layers of the skin to loosen dead skin cells, promote cell renewal and even the look of dull skin tone and texture. Added activated charcoal purifies pores while hyaluronic acid instantly hydrates. We love it for ✔ Pores ✔ Dullness & uneven texture Key Benefits PLUMPS FINE LINES. Hyaluronic acid instantly plumps fine dry lines for bouncy, hydrated skin FIGHTS DULLNESS. With the Super Six Acid Blend PORE-REFINING. Unclogs and purifies pores [less]
Uploaded by: maca on 02/13/2019
Water\Aqua\Eau, PEG-8, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Glycolic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, [more]Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Powder, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf, Charcoal Powder, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Algae Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Extract, Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Dimethicone, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Hdi/​Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/​Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Urea, Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Blue 1 (Ci 42090), Red 4 (Ci 14700)
Anti-acne: Salicylic Acid
Antioxidant: Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate
Exfoliant: Glycolic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tartaric Acid
Skin brightening: Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin-identical ingredient: Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Urea
Soothing: Salicylic Acid, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract
Abrasive/scrub: Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Powder, Charcoal Powder, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract
Antimicrobial/antibacterial: Mandelic Acid, Chlorphenesin
Antioxidant: BHT
Buffering: Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Tartaric Acid
Chelating: Disodium EDTA
Colorant: Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Blue 1 (Ci 42090), Red 4 (Ci 14700)
Emollient: Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Algae Extract, Lecithin, Dimethicone
Emulsifying: Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20
Moisturizer/humectant: PEG-8, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, Algae Extract, Urea
Perfuming: Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool
Preservative: Salicylic Acid, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin
Solvent: Water\Aqua\Eau, PEG-8, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol
Surfactant/cleansing: Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20
Viscosity controlling: Butylene Glycol, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA
Water\Aqua\Eau solvent
PEG-8 moisturizer/​humectant, solvent
Butylene Glycol moisturizer/​humectant, solvent, viscosity controlling 0, 1
Propanediol solvent, moisturizer/​humectant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane emollient, moisturizer/​humectant, surfactant/​cleansing
Glycolic Acid exfoliant, buffering superstar
Mandelic Acid exfoliant, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Sodium Hydroxide buffering
Salicylic Acid exfoliant, anti-acne, soothing, preservative superstar
Lactic Acid exfoliant, moisturizer/​humectant, buffering superstar
Tartaric Acid buffering, exfoliant
Sodium Hyaluronate skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 goodie
Trehalose moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Powder abrasive/​scrub
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf
Charcoal Powder abrasive/​scrub
Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract antioxidant, soothing, emollient, abrasive/​scrub goodie
Algae Extract emollient, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Extract
Lecithin emollient, emulsifying goodie
Tocopheryl Acetate antioxidant 0, 0
Acetyl Glucosamine skin-identical ingredient, skin brightening goodie
Dimethicone emollient 0, 1
Silica viscosity controlling
Xanthan Gum viscosity controlling, emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Carbomer viscosity controlling 0, 1
Polysorbate 20 emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing 0, 0
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Urea skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Fragrance (Parfum) perfuming icky
Linalool perfuming icky
BHT antioxidant, preservative
Disodium EDTA chelating, viscosity controlling
Phenoxyethanol preservative
Sorbic Acid preservative
Chlorphenesin preservative, antimicrobial/​antibacterial
Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891) colorant 0, 0
Blue 1 (Ci 42090) colorant
Red 4 (Ci 14700) colorant
GLAMGLOW Superserum
Also-called: Aqua;Water | What-it-does: solvent
PEG-8
What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant, solvent
A smallish polymer molecule (created from repeated units of Polyethylene glycol, aka PEG) that's used as a solubilizer and viscosity control agent.
It is a clear, colorless liquid that is water-soluble and water-binding (aka humectant) and can help to solubilize sparingly-water soluble things (e.g. vanilla, perfumes) into water-based formulas. Thanks to its water-binding ability, it also prevents the drying out of formulas, especially when combined with the fellow hygroscopic agent, sorbitol.
Butylene Glycol
What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant, solvent, viscosity controlling | 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.
It's an ingredient whose safety hasn't been questioned so far by anyone (at least not that we know about). BG is approved by Ecocert and is also used enthusiastically in natural products. BTW, it's also a food additive.
Also-called: Zemea | What-it-does: solvent, moisturizer/humectant
Propanediol is a natural alternative for the often used and often bad-mouthed propylene glycol. It's produced sustainably from corn sugar and it's Ecocert approved.
It's quite a multi-tasker: can be used to improve skin moisturization, as a solvent, to boost preservative efficacy or to influence the sensory properties of the end formula.
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
What-it-does: emollient, moisturizer/humectant, surfactant/cleansing
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane is a silicone that is water dispersible (as opposed to most other silicones that are usually oil dispersible). It makes the skin smooth and nice (emollient), moisturizes, helps to reduce tackiness, and also has some foam boosting properties. It is often used in light, watery formulas to give them an extra silky feel.
Glycolic Acid - superstar
What-it-does: exfoliant, buffering
It's the most researched AHA with the most proven skin benefits
It gently lifts off dead skin cells to reveal newer, fresher, smoother skin
It can help skin's own collagen production that results in firmer, younger skin
It can fade brown spots caused by sun damage or PIH
Choose a product where you know the concentration and pH value because these two greatly influence effectiveness
Don't forget to use your sunscreen (in any case but especially so next to an AHA product)
Slight stinging or burning with a stronger AHA product is normal
If your skin is very sensitive, rosacea prone choose rather a BHA or PHA product
Read all the geeky details about Glycolic Acid here >>
Mandelic Acid - goodie
What-it-does: exfoliant, antimicrobial/antibacterial
Mandelic acid is an AHA that comes from bitter almond
It can gently lift off dead surface skin cells and make the skin more smooth and even
It has antibacterial properties
It's promising against acne and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation
It's light sensitive, so choose a product with opaque packaging
Read all the geeky details about Mandelic Acid here >>
Also-called: lye | What-it-does: buffering
The unfancy name for it is lye. It's a solid white stuff that's very alkaline and used in small amounts to adjust the pH of the product and make it just right.
For example, in case of AHA or BHA exfoliants, the right pH is super-duper important, and pH adjusters like sodium hydroxide are needed.
BTW, lye is not something new. It was already used by ancient Egyptians to help oil and fat magically turn into something else. Can you guess what? Yes, it's soap. It still often shows up in the ingredient list of soaps and other cleansers.
Sodium hydroxide in itself is a potent skin irritant, but once it's reacted (as it is usually in skin care products, like exfoliants) it is totally harmless.
Salicylic Acid - superstar
Also-called: BHA | What-it-does: exfoliant, anti-acne, soothing, preservative
It's one of the gold standard ingredients for treating problem skin
It can exfoliate skin both on the surface and in the pores
It's a potent anti-inflammatory agent
It's more effective for treating blackheads than acne
For acne combine it with antibacterial agents like benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid
Read all the geeky details about Salicylic Acid here >>
Lactic Acid - superstar
What-it-does: exfoliant, moisturizer/humectant, buffering
It's the second most researched AHA after glycolic acid
It also has amazing skin hydrating properties
In higher concentration (10% and up) it improves skin firmness, thickness and wrinkles
Read all the geeky details about Lactic Acid here >>
Tartaric Acid
What-it-does: buffering, exfoliant
Sodium Hyaluronate - goodie
What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
It's the - sodium form - cousin of the famous NMF, hyaluronic acid (HA). If HA does not tell you anything we have a super detailed, geeky explanation about it here. The TL; DR version of HA is that it's a huge polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) found in the skin that acts as a sponge helping the skin to hold onto water, being plump and elastic. HA is famous for its crazy water holding capacity as it can bind up to 1000 times its own weight in water.
As far as skincare goes, sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid are pretty much the same and the two names are used interchangeably. As cosmetic chemist kindofstephen writes on reddit "sodium hyaluronate disassociates into hyaluronic acid molecule and a sodium atom in solution".
In spite of this, if you search for "hyaluronic acid vs sodium hyaluronate" you will find on multiple places that sodium hyaluronate is smaller and can penetrate the skin better. Chemically, this is definitely not true, as the two forms are almost the same, both are polymers and the subunits can be repeated in both forms as much as you like. (We also checked Prospector for sodium hyaluronate versions actually used in cosmetic products and found that the most common molecular weight was 1.5-1.8 million Da that absolutely counts as high molecular weight).
What seems to be a true difference, though, is that the salt form is more stable, easier to formulate and cheaper so it pops up more often on the ingredient lists.
If you wanna become a real HA-and-the-skin expert you can read way more about the topic at hyaluronic acid (including penetration-questions, differences between high and low molecular weight versions and a bunch of references to scientific literature).
Trehalose - goodie
What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant
A type of sugar that has water-binding properties and helps to keep your skin hydrated.
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Powder
What-it-does: abrasive/scrub
Charcoal Powder
What-it-does: abrasive/scrub, absorbent/mattifier
Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract - goodie
Also-called: Oat Kernel Extract, Colloidal Oatmeal | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, emollient, abrasive/scrub
When you hear oatmeal, you probably think of breakfast, but the finely ground version of whole oat kernels, aka colloidal oatmeal, can do good things for your skin, especially if it's dry, itchy or prone to skin-rashes or eczema.
Oat is loaded with compounds good for the body, inside or outside, such as soothing agent beta-glucan (5%), lipids (3-11%) including barrier repairing omega-3 and 6 fatty acids or phenolic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents (avenanthramides).
The soothing, antioxidant and skin-protecting abilities of oat are so well-established that it is an active natural ingredient covered by the FDA OTC Skin Protectant monograph in the US, meaning that colloidal oatmeal can be claimed as an active ingredient on the INCI list and Aveeno is a mass-market brand built around oat-containing products.
If your skin is dry, irritated, inflamed or eczema-prone, colloidal oatmeal is something to try.
Algae Extract - goodie
We have to admit that Algae Extract is not our favorite ingredient name. It does comply with the INCI standard (the official list about how ingredients on the product labels have to be called, the thing we help you to decode here :)), but there are about 20 000 different kinds of algae and an extract from them can be made in another 10 000 ways.
So, Algae Extract can be anything from La Mer's "Miracle Broth" to a simple brown algae extract that helps to smooth the hair. The official description in the Europiean Cosmetic Ingredient listing is this: "an extract of various species of Algae; Extract of the Seaweed, Fucus vesiculosus, Furaceae". Its official functions include being a humectant (helps skin to attract water), emollient (makes skin feel smooth and nice) and skin conditioner (a catchall phrase for saying it does something good for the skin).
A 2015 research paper on the potential of uses of algae in cosmetics summarizes that algae are rich sources of biologically active metabolites including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, alginates, polysaccharides, and carotenoids. Currently, algae extracts are mostly used as moisturizing and thickening agents, but algae also have great potential to combat skin aging, pigmentation as well as working as an antimicrobial.
We have also browsed through Prospector to see what manufacturers say about their algae. There is, for example, an algae extract trade-named Lanablue that comes from blue-green algae (green algae is rare, less than 1% of the total macroalgae in the world) and is claimed to have retinoid like effects (i.e. reduce wrinkles, smooth skin) but without the side effects (though it seems now that the INCI name of Lanablue was changed to Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract).
There is another algae extract from another manufacturer that comes from red algae (much more common, about 40% of total macroalgae worldwide) and is claimed to have not only moisturizing but also skin smoothing and densifying effects.
Here is a brown algae extract (the most common type, about 59% of macroalgae), also just called Algae Extract on the product label that is simply claimed to be a free radical scavenger, aka antioxidant. These were just three random examples from three manufacturers all called Algae extract even though they all come from different algae with different claims.
Anyhow, the point is this; there are tons of different types of Algae Extracts out there. Unless the brand tells you what they use, it's impossible to know for sure. The most probable scenario for the Alge Extract is that it works as a moisturizer and emollient and it might have some additional anti-aging properties.
Lecithin - goodie
What-it-does: emollient, emulsifying
A very common ingredient that can be found in all cell membranes. In cosmetics it's quite the multi-tasker: it's an emollient and water-binding ingredient but it's also an emulsifier and can be used for stabilization purposes. It's also often used to create liposomes.
Tocopheryl Acetate
Also-called: Vitamin E Acetate | What-it-does: antioxidant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
It's the most commonly used version of pure vitamin E in cosmetics. You can read all about the pure form here. This one is the so-called esterified version.
According to famous dermatologist, Leslie Baumann while tocopheryl acetate is more stable and has a longer shelf life, it's also more poorly absorbed by the skin and may not have the same awesome photoprotective effects as pure Vit E.
Acetyl Glucosamine - goodie
What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, skin brightening
An amino acid sugar that can be found in the skin and does there good and important things. One of them is that it's a precursor for the biosynthesis of superstar moisturizer, hyaluronic acid. So acetyl glucosamine itself is also an important skin-identical ingredient and natural moisturizing factor.
But that is not all, acetyl glucosamine has two other great properties proved by double-blind clinical trials. First, it's a promising ingredient against wrinkles: 2% can improve wrinkles, particularly in the eye area.
Second, the same amount can also fade - always stubborn - brown spots. (Do not expect magic, though - the photos from the study show the difference after 8 weeks of daily use. The difference is visible, but not that big. It's always good to have realistic expectations. :)) Combined with skincare superstar niacinamide the duo is synergistic and is more effective at improving hyperpigmentation, so if you are after the skin-lightening benefit look out for products that contain both.
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.
As for hair care, it is a non-volatile silicone meaning that it stays on the hair rather than evaporates from it and smoothes the hair like no other thing. Depending on your hair type, it can be a bit difficult to wash out and might cause some build-up (btw, this is not true to all silicones, only the non-volatile types).
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 products or suspend insoluble particles.
What-it-does: viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilising, emulsifying, surfactant/cleansing
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).
Hdi/​Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
A handy spherical powder that's often combined with fellow spherical powder, Polymethylsilsesquioxane to form a high-performing texturizing duo. The duo is claimed to provide excellent slip, fluidity and overall skin feel and gives soft focus and wrinkle correction to the formula. It also has strong de-tackifying and anti-caking properties.
A so-called polymer microsphere, i.e. little spherical shaped particles from repeated subunits. Similar to other microsphere powders, it can scatter the light to give products a soft focus or blurring effect. It also works as a texture enhancer giving formulas an exceptional smoothness and a velvet touch.
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.
What-it-does: emulsifying, surfactant/cleansing | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
It's a common little helper ingredient that helps water and oil to mix together. Also, it can help to increase the solubility of some other ingredients in the formula.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/​Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
What-it-does: emulsion stabilising
Urea - goodie
Also-called: Carbamide | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant
Yes, it's the thing that can be found naturally in pee. And in the skin. It is an awesome natural moisturizing factor, aka NMF. NMFs are important components that help the skin to hold onto water and keep it plump, elastic and hydrated. Urea makes up about 7% of NMFs next to other things such as amino acids (40%), PCA (12%) or Lactate (12%).
What makes urea special, is that it is not only a simple moisturizer, but it is thought to be a "small-molecule regulator of epidermal structure and function" meaning that it has a bunch of extra biological activities. It acts as a mild keratolytic agent (some of its moisturizing action is thought to come from urea's ability to break down bonds in the protein called filaggrin and thus freeing up amino acids in the skin), enhances antimicrobial peptide expression and improves skin barrier function.
Being a mild keratolytic agent and strong moisturizer means that high-percentage (10-40%) urea treatments are found effective in a bunch of skin disorders connected to excessive dryness and malfunctioning skin barrier such as ichthyosis, xerosis, psoriasis, eczema and seborrheic dermatitis.
Overall, just like glycerin, urea is a real oldie but a goodie, a nice ingredient in any moisturizer.
Fragrance (Parfum) - icky
Also-called: Fragrance, Parfum;Parfum/Fragrance | What-it-does: perfuming
Exactly what it sounds: nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. Fragrance in the US and parfum in the EU is a generic term on the ingredient list that is made up of 30 to 50 chemicals on average (but it can have as much as 200 components!).
If you are someone who likes to know what you put on your face then fragrance is not your best friend - there's no way to know what's really in it.
Also, if your skin is sensitive, fragrance is again not your best friend. It's the number one cause of contact allergy to cosmetics. It's definitely a smart thing to avoid with sensitive skin (and fragrance of any type - natural is just as allergic as synthetic, if not worse!).
Linalool - icky
What-it-does: perfuming, deodorant
Linalool is a super common fragrance ingredient. It's kind of everywhere - both in plants and in cosmetic products. It's part of 200 natural oils including lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, jasmine, geranium and it can be found in 90-95% of prestige perfumes on the market.
The problem with linalool is, that just like limonene it oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic. That's why a product containing linalool that has been opened for several months is more likely to be allergenic than a fresh one.
A study made in the UK with 483 people tested the allergic reaction to 3% oxidised linalool and 2.3% had positive test results.
Also-called: Butylated Hydroxy Toluene | What-it-does: antioxidant, preservative
It's the acronym for Butylated Hydroxy Toluene. It's a common synthetic antioxidant that's used as a preservative.
There is some controversy around BHT. It's not a new ingredient, it has been used both as a food and cosmetics additive since the 1970s. Plenty of studies tried to examine if it's a carcinogen or not. This Truth in Aging article details the situation and also writes that all these studies examine BHT when taken orally.
As for cosmetics, the CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) concluded that the amount of BHT used in cosmetic products is low (usually around 0.01-0.1%), it does not penetrate skin far enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream and it is safe to use in cosmetics.
Disodium EDTA
What-it-does: chelating, viscosity controlling
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. It is typically used in tiny amounts, around 0.1% or even less.
It's pretty much the current IT-preservative. It's safe and gentle, but even more importantly, it's not a feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben.
It's not something new: it was introduced around 1950 and today it can be used up to 1% worldwide. It can be found in nature - in green tea - but the version used in cosmetics is synthetic.
Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too. It can be used in many types of formulations as it has great thermal stability (can be heated up to 85°C) and works on a wide range of pH levels (ph 3-10).
It's often used together with ethylhexylglycerin as it nicely improves the preservative activity of phenoxyethanol.
A mild, natural preservative that usually comes to the formula together with its other mild preservative friends, such as Benzoic Acid and/or Dehydroacetic Acid. Btw, it's also used as a food preservative.
Chlorphenesin
What-it-does: preservative, antimicrobial/antibacterial
A little helper ingredient that works as a preservative. It works against bacteria and some species of fungi and yeast. It's often combined with IT-preservative, phenoxyethanol.
Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891)
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.
Blue 1 (Ci 42090)
Also-called: Ci 42090 | What-it-does: colorant
CI 42090 or Blue 1 is a super common synthetic colorant in beauty & food. Used alone, it adds a brilliant smurf-like blue color, combined with Tartrazine, it gives the fifty shades of green.
Red 4 (Ci 14700)
A common colorant that gives products a nice red color.
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant | solvent
A smallish polymer molecule that is used as a solubilizer and viscosity control agent in cosmetic products. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant | solvent | viscosity controlling
An often used glycol that works as a solvent, humectant, penetration enhancer and also gives a good slip to the products. [more]
what‑it‑does solvent | moisturizer/humectant
A natural corn sugar derived glycol. It can be used to improve skin moisturization, as a solvent, to boost preservative efficacy or to influence the sensory properties of the end formula. [more]
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. [more]
what‑it‑does exfoliant | buffering
The most researched and well-known AHA exfoliant. It gently lifts off dead skin cells to reveal newer, fresher, smoother skin. In larger concentration (>10%) it's a proven collagen booster. [more]
what‑it‑does exfoliant | antimicrobial/antibacterial
An AHA that comes from bitter almond. Its exfoliation action is slower but also safer than glycolic acid. It's also antibacterial and is a promising ingredient against acne and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. [more]
Lye - A solid white stuff that's very alkaline and used in small amount to adjust the pH of the product. [more]
what‑it‑does exfoliant | anti-acne | soothing | preservative
One of the gold standard ingredients for treating problem skin. It can exfoliate skin both on the surface and in the pores and it's a potent anti-inflammatory agent. [more]
what‑it‑does exfoliant | moisturizer/humectant | buffering
A superstar AHA that not only exfoliates skin but is also a very good moisturizer. In higher concentration (10% and up) it can even improve skin firmness, thickness, and wrinkles. [more]
what‑it‑does buffering | exfoliant
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. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does abrasive/scrub
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing | emollient | abrasive/scrub
When you hear oatmeal, you probably think of breakfast, but the finely ground version of whole oat kernels, aka colloidal oatmeal, can do good things for your skin, especially if it's dry, itchy or prone to skin-rashes or eczema.Oat is loaded with compounds good for the body, inside or outside, such as soothing agent beta-glucan [more]
An extract that comes from one or more of the 20 000 kinds of algae out there. In general algae extracts serve as moisturizing, emollient and thickening agents, and many of them also have additional anti-aging properties. [more]
It's quite the multi-tasker: an emollient and water-binding ingredient but also an emulsifier and can be used for stabilization purposes. It's also often used to create liposomes. [more]
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. [more]
what‑it‑does skin-identical ingredient | skin brightening
An amino sugar that helps the skin to stay hydrated, is also promising against wrinkles and can help to fade brown spots particularly when combined with niacinamide. [more]
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. [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
A white powdery thing that can mattify the skin and thicken up cosmetic products. [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling | emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing
A super commonly used thickener and emulsion stabilizer. [more]
A handy spherical powder that gives excellent slip, fluidity and overall skin feel to the formula (often combined with Polymethylsilsesquioxane). [more]
A microsphere powder that can scatter the light to give products a soft focus effect. It also works as a texture enhancer giving formulas an exceptional smoothness and a velvet touch. [more]
A handy white powder that magically converts a liquid into a nice gel formula. [more]
what‑it‑does emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing
The thing in the pee that is also a natural moisturizing factor (NMF) with mild keratolytic and strong skin moisturizing superpowers. [more]
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. [more]
A super common fragrance ingredient that can be found among others in lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot or jasmine. The downside of it is that it oxidises on air exposure and might become allergenic. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | preservative
It's the acronym for Butylated Hydroxy Toluene. It's a common synthetic antioxidant that's used as a preservative.There is some controversy around BHT. [more]
what‑it‑does chelating | viscosity controlling
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. [more]
Pretty much the current IT-preservative. It's safe and gentle, and can be used up to 1% worldwide. [more]
A mild, natural preservative that usually comes to the formula together with its other mild preservative friends, such as Benzoic Acid and/or Dehydroacetic Acid. [more]
what‑it‑does preservative | antimicrobial/antibacterial
A little helper ingredient that works as a preservative. It works against bacteria and some species of fungi and yeast. [more]
what‑it‑does colorant
Titanium dioxide as a colorant. It's a white pigment with great color consistency and dispersibility.
Synthetic colorant with smurf-like blue color. [more]