Skin terminal

Ingredient glossary

294 ingredients by the names on the label, grouped by the job each does in a formula. Every entry says what the thing is and where the public record on it is (Wikidata, PubMed); none says what it will do for your skin, because that depends on the product and on you. The label lists ingredients in descending order by weight, so the first five are most of what you are buying.

All Active Humectant Emollient Occlusive Cleansing agent Emulsifier Preservative Antioxidant Exfoliant UV filter Fragrance Colorant Texture and thickener Solvent Conditioning agent Skin protectant pH adjuster Chelating agent

Colorants tint the product or the skin; in the US each is listed by its FDA name (CI number or D&C name).

B

Blue 1CI 42090 · ColorantA synthetic blue dye used in bath bombs, body wash and some eye makeup.

C

Carmine (CI 75470)ColorantA red pigment from the cochineal insect; the one red that is not vegan. An allergen for a small number of people.

H

HennaLawsonia Inermis Leaf Powder · ColorantGround henna leaves, the plant dye that stains hair and skin orange-red. Pure henna is only ever red-brown; 'black henna' means PPD was…

I

Iron oxide (black)CI 77499 · ColorantBlack iron oxide pigment; mascara and eyeliner black.Iron oxide (red)CI 77491 · ColorantRed iron oxide pigment; with yellow (CI 77492) and black (CI 77499) it makes every foundation shade. Also a UV-blocking pigment in tinted…Iron oxide (yellow)CI 77492 · ColorantYellow iron oxide pigment, one of the three foundation primaries.

M

MicaColorantA mineral that gives shimmer; coated with titanium dioxide or iron oxides for colour (then listed as both). Sourcing from child labour in…

P

PPD (p-phenylenediamine)ColorantThe dye base of most permanent dark hair colours and the main cause of hair-dye allergy; the EU requires a patch-test warning. Also the…

R

Red 7 Lake (lithol rubine)CI 15850 · ColorantA synthetic red pigment, the classic lipstick red; FDA-certified batch by batch like all US synthetic colours.

S

Synthetic micaSynthetic Fluorphlogopite · ColorantLab-made mica, purer and more uniform than mined mica, with no sourcing concerns.

T

Titanium dioxide (pigment)CI 77891 · ColorantTitanium dioxide listed by its colour index number when used as a white pigment rather than a UV filter.

Y

Yellow 5 (tartrazine)CI 19140 · ColorantA synthetic yellow dye used in bath products and some makeup; also a food dye.

How to read a label

US labels use INCI names (Latin for plant parts, chemical names for the rest) in descending order by weight down to 1 percent; below that, in any order. "Fragrance" or "parfum" can stand for dozens of undisclosed compounds. A plus sign or asterisk usually marks an organic ingredient; a jar symbol with a number of months is the period after opening. Colorants are listed last by their CI number.

Where the words come from

The function groups are the ones the EU's CosIng database and the Personal Care Products Council use. The one-line descriptions are ours, written from the public record; a Wikidata description and the three most recent PubMed papers that mention the ingredient with skin are fetched for each entry. Products that regulators treat as drugs in the US (sunscreens, acne treatments, antiperspirants, dandruff shampoos) are marked as such. FDA and CPSC recalls →