Beauty alchemy: cosmetic ingredients
Welcome to our ingredients page, which we hope will become your trusted source for unlocking the secrets of cosmetic products – both ours and those from well-known manufacturers. Our continuously updated ingredients database is designed to help you gain a deeper insight into the composition of your products and to help you find the ideal solutions for your health and beauty.
For the full list of ingredients here.
The ingredients of products are grouped into 15 essential categories. For example, the most commonly used solvent is water. The water used in cosmetic manufacturing is not just tap water. It must be “ultra-pure” – free of microbes, toxins and other contaminants. For this reason it is called distilled water, purified water or simply aqua list. Certain ingredients may belong to more than one category. Below are descriptions of each category:
Active ingredients
Active ingredients form the core of cosmetic products that target specific skin care concerns. Backed by rigorous scientific research, these ingredients such as, retinol and salicylic acid, are designed to deliver intense effects. They help to stimulate skin renewal, reduce inflammation and fight pigmentation changes, thus ensuring skin health and well-being. The active ingredients act at the cellular level to repair, renew, moisturise, protect and nourish cells, capable of modifying the condition of the skin in a lasting way, especially when formulated with the right concentrations.
Among the most common topical active ingredients addressing a wide range of skin problems are: reversing the signs of ageing with SPF-boosting ingredients such as Zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone, oxybenzone, Vitamin A/retinoids, vitamin C and vitamin E; reducing dry skin with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E; correction of pigmentation with kojic acid, AHA and BHA acids, vitamin C; and acne treatment with vitamins A/retinoids, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and azelaic acid.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants serve as skin armour, neutralising free radicals that cause premature skin ageing and damage. These natural substances, including Vitamin C, vitamin E and green tea extractprotect the skin from environmental influences, ensuring its health and resilience. Antioxidants, made up of essential vitamins and minerals, neutralise free radicals that can damage DNA, lipids and proteins, and protect cosmetic products from air-induced auto-oxidation, which can lead to unpleasant odours and chemical breakdown. Their inclusion in the formulation not only prolongs the shelf life of the products but also provides additional protection for the skin. Substances such as alpha lipoic acid, green and white tea, retinol, vitamin C and Coenzyme Q10 are just a few of the many antioxidants that effectively combat skin problems, maintaining skin health and youthfulness.
Humidifiers
Moisturisers attract and preserve vital water molecules, both on the surface and deep within the skin. Ingredients such as, Glycerin and hyaluronic acid, have a remarkable ability to retain moisture, giving the skin elasticity and reducing fine lines and wrinkles caused by dehydration.
Moisturisers act as moisture reservoirs for the skin, slowing evaporation and providing long-lasting hydration. These hygroscopic substances are able to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, effectively attracting and retaining moisture in the skin layers. Both natural and synthetic moisturisers such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, urea, amino acids, peptides, hydrolysed proteins, aloe vera, sorbitol and propylene glycol, are essential for daily skin care.
Emulsifiers
Emulsifiers are indispensable in the cosmetics industry because they allow the oil and water to be combined into a single mass, creating creamy textures. These ingredients help to maintain stable emulsions, such as creams and lotions, guaranteeing an even distribution of the active ingredients. Polysorbate, laureth-4 and potassium cetyl sulphate are just a few examples of emulsifiers that give creams and lotions a smooth and pleasant texture, thus improving the quality of the final product and the user experience.
Preservatives
Preservatives are an integral part of cosmetic products, ensuring that they remain safe to use and retain their efficacy over time. They prevent the growth of micro-organisms such as bacteria, yeasts and moulds, ensuring a high level of product safety and stability. Without preservatives, cosmetic products can quickly become contaminated with micro-organisms that can cause not only product spoilage but also health problems for consumers.
The use of preservatives is essential to protect products from microbial contamination throughout their life cycle, from production to final consumption. This includes transportation, storage and daily use, during which products can be exposed to a wide range of micro-organisms.
The debate between the pros and cons of natural and synthetic preservatives is still ongoing, and quality cosmetics are currently being phased out various parabens, but the main point is that preservatives are an integral aspect of a safe and effective cosmetic product.
Scents
Scents in cosmetics have more than just an aesthetic function – they enrich the consumer’s experience by giving products a pleasant aroma, which can mask the inherent smell of some ingredients. Fragrances are complex mixtures of various natural and synthetic chemicals that are added to products not only for their pleasant aroma, but also to create a feeling of cleanliness, freshness or softness, to relieve stress, to improve well-being, and to promote attractiveness and allure. The addition of fragrances can significantly increase the attractiveness of a product, but it is important to bear in mind that some people may be sensitive or allergic to certain fragrances. Commonly used fragrance ingredients include linalool, citronellol, cinnamal, limonene, geraniol, eugenol and various essential oils that are listed on product labels as “scent“, “perfume” or “perfume“.
Softeners
Emollients are at the heart of cosmetic products, not only making the skin feel soft and smooth, but also reducing the roughness and discomfort caused by dryness. Their action is based on their ability to fill the gaps between skin cells with lipids, resulting in smoother and softer skin. These ingredients are essential in the care of dry, rough and flaky skin as they not only soften the skin but also prevent water evaporation, thus maintaining optimal skin hydration.
In addition, some emollients such as, Vaseline oil and various waxes, can also act as thickeners in emulsions while acting as occlusive agents due to their oil content. This means that they create a protective barrier on the surface of the skin, further enhancing skin hydration and protection.
The most popular and commonly used natural and synthetic fabric softeners include shea butter, cocoa butter, glycerine, mineral oil, lanolin, petrolatum, paraffin and beeswax. Also worth mentioning Squalene and various vegetable oils such as coconut, jojobasesame, almond oils and cetyl alcohol, and olive oil, which is known for its oleic acid. The diversity of these ingredients allows us to formulate products that not only effectively soften the skin, but also adapt to different skin types and needs, giving the user a sense of comfort and well-being.
Surfactants
Surfactants, known as surfactants, are critical ingredients in cleaning products that effectively remove dirt and grease, leaving a clean and fresh appearance. They are the basis of detergents, shampoos and other cleaning products, providing not only effective cleaning but also other properties such as foaming, thickening, emulsification, solubilisation, permeability enhancement and antimicrobial action.
The uniqueness of these ingredients lies in their ability to combine water and oil, forming structures where the lipophilic parts interact with lipids and the hydrophilic parts with water. This characteristic makes surfactants invaluable in the development of products that act as cleansing agents, moisturising agents, foaming agents in shampoos, emulsifiers in creams and lotions, conditioning agents in skin and hair care products, and solubilisers in odours and flavours. The most common surfactants include sodium lauryl sulphate, ammonium laureth sulphate, sodium laureth sulfate, disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate, cocamphocarboxylglycinate, cocamidopropyl betaine and alpha-olefin sulphonate, which are essential constituents that give the products their efficacy and consumer appeal.
pH regulators
The pH regulators ensure that the acidity level of the product matches the pH of the skin, thus avoiding skin irritation and ensuring a pleasant application. The use of these substances allows the optimum pH balance to be maintained, which is essential to preserve the colour, viscosity, skin feel and stability of the product throughout its lifetime.
The pH level, measured on a scale from acidic to alkaline, is an important indicator of the acidity or alkalinity of aqueous solutions. Healthy skin can have a pH between 4.5 and 6.0, depending on the specific location on the body, so it is important to reject the misconception that all skin has a uniform pH of 5.5. Cosmetic products are often formulated to be slightly more acidic in order to match the pH of the skin and ensure its health.
Some examples of pH adjusters: citric acid, lactic acid, sodium hydroxide and triethanolamine.
Solar protection
Sun protection is probably the most effective way to maintain youthful skin by protecting it from potentially harmful ultraviolet rays. These components fall into two categories: mineral (physical) and organic (chemical) filters. Mineral filters, for example, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, reflect the sun’s rays away from the surface of the skin, acting as a physical barrier. This method is highly effective and less likely to cause skin irritation, making it an ideal choice for sensitive skin.
On the other hand, organic filters such as avobenzone or oxybenzoneabsorb UV rays and convert them into harmless energy by dissipating heat. These ingredients provide powerful protection, but some may be allergens or cause sensitivity reactions. Choosing the right sunscreen product depends on personal skin characteristics and the need for protection, so it is important to find a balance between effectiveness and skin tolerance.
Colours
Colour ingredients used in decorative cosmetics. Pigments and dyes not only provide a range of colours, from intense red blush to fresh green toothpaste, but also help to camouflage skin imperfections. These components are divided into organic and inorganic categories, depending on their chemical structure, and into dyes and pigments, which are applied in various cosmetic formulations.
In Europe, colour additives are indicated on product labels by the prefix CI, for example, CI 42090 or CI 73360, and in the USA by means of an FD&C designation such as FD&C Yellow No. 5. The choice of colours ranges from carmine, which gives a bright red hue, to ultramarines and manganese, which range from purple to bluish, and chromium oxideto pearlescent effects which give the products a subtle shine.
Stabilisers
Stabilisers ensure that the products remain homogeneous, effective and unchanged throughout their lifetime. Not only do they help to maintain the quality of the product by avoiding the separation of ingredients and ensuring the long-term integrity of the product, but they also support the quality of other ingredients such as active ingredients, fragrances and essential oils, functionality and activity. In addition, stabilisers play an important role in maintaining the optimum pH value of the product, protecting it from unwanted acidity or alkalinity that can affect the skin condition.
These ingredients are also important in protecting the product from the adverse effects of weathering, such as discolouration due to oxidation, and help to increase the effectiveness of the preservatives, ensuring a longer shelf life. Certain antioxidants and chemicals such as sodium phytate, propanediol, BHT, EDTA and soya lecithin, are added as stabilisers in cosmetic products to prevent chemical and physical changes in the state of the products. The use of these substances allows consumers to enjoy high quality cosmetic products that retain their properties and performance right up to the last moment of use.
Texture enhancers
Texture enhancers and sensorial ingredients give cosmetic products a unique sensory appeal and texture, from light lotions to thick creams. These ingredients not only diversify the consistency of the product, but also enrich the user’s experience by providing pleasant sensations such as silkiness, velvety texture or powdery effect. They can achieve lightness, freshness and non-oily feel, as well as create different sensations such as chirping or temperature effects that influence consumers’ decisions when choosing products.
Examples of these ingredients include, acrylate, butylene glycol, Althaea rosea extract, aluminium hydroxide and silicones in cosmetic products allows us to offer consumers customised solutions that meet their needs and expectations. This product development philosophy helps to create more attractive and innovative cosmetic products that not only perform their function but also add pleasure to the daily skin care routine.
Solvents
Solvents play a key role in the cosmetics industry as the main medium in which other ingredients in products are dissolved, ensuring their even distribution and maximum effectiveness. These liquid components not only facilitate the dissolution and incorporation of other substances into a homogeneous solution, but also improve the functionality, texture and user experience of the final product. Wateris the most commonly used solvent in cosmetics due to its versatile dissolving properties, emphasising its importance in providing a clean and safe product base. In addition to water, various oils and alcohols are also used, which allow the creation of cosmetic products with different properties, adapted to different skin needs.
In addition, the water used in cosmetic formulas must be of the highest quality – “ultrapure”, free of any microbes, toxins or other contaminants – which is why it is often labelled as distilled or purified water. Another important solvent is propylene glycolwhich is widely used in various cosmetic products such as lotions, moisturisers, make-up foundations and mouthwashes, due to its ability to effectively dissolve and carry active ingredients, as well as its hydrating properties. The use of solvents as an essential ingredient in cosmetic products allows optimum product performance and consumer satisfaction.
Thickeners
WARNING:
We stress that we are not dermatologists, skincare specialists or chemists. The information on this website does not constitute medical advice. It is designed as a guide on your skincare journey and is intended for information, education and awareness purposes only. Although we have done our due diligence in analysing various scientific articles and studies before publishing our content, we encourage you to take an active interest, especially when it comes to the ingredients under discussion. We have tried to be as accurate as possible, but it should always be borne in mind that everyone may have their own opinions or experiences. For example, an ingredient that many consider hypoallergenic and works wonders may cause irritation in some skin types. Also, the composition and ingredients of the products in our range are the responsibility of the manufacturer. Due to possible changes, we always recommend checking the ingredients directly on the product packaging.