ORIGINS High-Potency Night-A-Mins™ Mineral-Enriched Oil-Free Renewal Cream Review

When you see “water\aqua\eau” on a product’s ingredient label, it simply means water. Manufacturers of cosmetics and personal care products are required by law to list all of the ingredients...

Jojoba esters are the hydrogenation or transesterification product of jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is derived from the seeds of the Simmondsia chinensis plant. Jojoba esters are proper waxes; there is

Methyl trimethicone is a type of silicone. Silicones have a long history of use in skin care products, beginning in the 1950s. They are well-known to improve the feel, appearance,

When reading skin care product ingredient lists, you may come across a chemical called butylene glycol, and wonder about what it does and how it works. After all, this ingredient...

Glycerin is an ingredient that can be found in many beauty products because of its moisture locking properties. It is a form of sugar alcohol that is available naturally in...

Many beauty and skin care experts have lauded the effects of squalane on the skin. This oil, which occurs naturally in the body, is also found in olive oil and...

Cetyl ricinoleate is an ester of cetyl alcohol (a fatty alcohol) and ricinoleic acid (an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid). The triglyceride form of ricinoleic acid is a major component of

Sucrose stearate is the ester of stearic acid and sucrose. Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid found in the fats of many animals, as well as in plant sources

Myristyl myristate is used in a variety of cosmetics and personal care products as an emollient, texture enhancer, and co-emulsifier....

Mimosa tenuiflora, also known as Jurema Preta or Tepezcohuite, is a perennial tree or shrub native to Brazil and Mexico. Extracts from the bark of this tree are believed to...

Citrus grandis is generally considered to be a name for a pomelo, which may also be referred to as Citrus maxima. According to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, Citrus

Citrus aurantium bergamia, also known as the bergamot orange, is a fragrant citrus fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow or green color similar to a lime. Bergamot...

In skin care products, ‘Citrus aurantium dulcis’ is known as sweet orange. However, most of the published literature and the FDA’s Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP) refer to the sweet

Limonene is a compound naturally found in citrus fruits that is used as a fragrance in cosmetics and personal care products, and is also added to foods to enhance flavor....

Castanea sativa is a deciduous tree native to Southern Europe and Asia. It produces an edible seed, the chestnut, which has been used in cooking since ancient times. Chestnut seed

Chlorella vulgaris is a green eukaryotic microalgae that was first discovered in 1890 as the first microalgae with a well-defined nucleus. The algae is known for its high protein content;...

Triticum vulgare, also known as common wheat or bread wheat, is a cultivated wheat species that makes up about 95% of all produced wheat. In skin care products, there are...

Cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract is used in cosmetics and personal care products due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin-conditioning properties....

Pyrus malus is the name given to apple-derived ingredients used in skin care products. However, Pyrus malus is a genus and species name for apple that is not in current...

Sigesbeckia orientalis, also known as St. Paul’s wort, is a species of plant from the family Asteraceae. It has been used in traditional medicine to treat syphilis, leprosy, and other...

Hordeum vulgare, commonly known as barley, is a member of the grass family, grown in temperate climates around the world. Barley is a component of various foods and alcoholic beverages....

The term “Faex” is the ingredient designation required by European Union regulations for yeast extract. Yeasts are single-celled microorganisms belonging to the fungus kingdom. Yeast extract is added to skin...

Trehalose is a type of sugar that is used in cosmetics and personal care products as a moisturizer, skin protectant, and antioxidant....

Caffeine is being increasingly used in cosmetics and skin care products due to its high biological activity and ability to penetrate the skin barrier, providing benefits such as reducing signs...

Linoleic acid is a fatty acid that functions as an emollient and thickening agent in cosmetics and personal care products. Research has also demonstrated that linoleic acid possesses anti-inflammatory, acne...

Cholesterol is an organic molecule that is added to cosmetics and skin care products for its functions as a skin-conditioning agent and an emulsifier....

Xanthan gum is a natural polysaccharide that is added to cosmetics and personal care products as a binder, emulsion stabilizer, surfactant emulsifying agent, and a viscosity increasing agent....

Arginine is an amino acid that is used in cosmetics and personal care products to protect the skin from free radicals, increase skin hydration, and boost collagen production....

Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid that is commonly used in skin care products, particularly anti-aging and acne treatments....

Palmitoyl oligopeptide is a blend of several fatty and amino acids that has recently been used in a number of cosmetics and anti-aging creams. This ingredient is being studied for...

Aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate is a water soluble, stable derivative of vitamin C that is created by combining ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C) with 3-APPA (3-aminopropyl dehydrogen phosphate). Aminopropyl ascorbyl phosphate

Acetyl hexapeptide 8, which is also known as Argireline, is a peptide compound that is used in skin care products to reduce the appearance of wrinkles brought on by repeated...

Maltodextrin is a plant-based sugar that is used in cosmetics and personal care products as a moisturizer, absorbent, binding agent, emulsion stabilizer, and film-forming agent....

Phospholipids are a class of lipids that consist of two hydrophobic fatty acid "tails" and a hydrophilic "head" consisting of a phosphate group, which are joined together by a glycerol

Tocopheryl acetate is a form of vitamin E used in skin care products due to its powerful antioxidant properties and natural skin-conditioning effects....

Sodium hyaluronate is the water-soluble sodium salt form of hyaluronic acid, a natural substance found in various connective tissues of humans that has a unique capacity for retaining water. Skin...

Dimethicone, which is a silicone oil, is also known as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and is used in a number of health and beauty products. Those who purchase skin care products with...

Silica is a mineral that is used in a wide variety of cosmetics and skin care products due to its multi-functioning nature as an an abrasive, anticaking agent, bulking agent,...

Glyceryl polymethacrylate is a synthetic ingredient that is an ester of glycerin and polymethacrylic acid. In cosmetics and personal care products, glyceryl polymethacrylate primarily functions as a film-forming agent. Upon

Myristyl alcohol is a straight-chain saturated fatty alcohol that is prepared by the hydrogenation of myristic acid. Myristic acid can be obtained from nutmeg, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil....

Polysorbate 20 is a surfactant, emulsifier, and fragrance ingredient that is used in a variety of cosmetics and personal care products....

Potassium hydroxide is a highly alkaline ingredient that is used in small amounts in cosmetics and personal care products to establish and hold the pH of a product....

Hexylene glycol functions as a surfactant, emulsifier, and a viscosity-reducing agent in many different cosmetics and personal care products....

Carbomer is the trade name for polyacrylic acid (PAA), a group of synthetic high molecular weight polymers of acrylic acid used in cosmetics and personal care products as thickening agents....

Caprylyl glycol is a skin conditioning agent that adds moisturization and wetting properties to many cosmetics and personal care products, as well as functions as a preservative booster....

The term "PEG" is an abbreviation for polyethylene glycol and is used to describe synthetic polymers of ethylene oxide. The number following PEG (i.e. PEG-8) is based on the number

Ethylhexylglycerin is a natural preservative derived from glycerin that also functions as a surfactant, a deodorizing agent, and a skin-conditioning agent in cosmetics and personal care products....

Phenoxyethanol is glycol ether used as a preservative in cosmetic products and medicines. This is a kind of ether alcohol with aromatic properties that can enhance a skin product’s scent....