Cosmetic Ingredients and Functions

At present, the skincare and make up industry selects from more than 5000 different ingredients. It's no wonder consumers can be confused when they see the list. What is it? Why is it in there?
Here are some common ingredients and their usual functions. (active drug ingredients are not included)

Cosmetic Ingredients: MOISTURIZERS function as a moisture barrier or to attract moisture from the environment:

cetyl alcohol (fatty alcohol) - keeps oil and water from separating; also a foam booster
dimethicone silicone - skin condition and anti-foam ingredient
isopropyl lanolate, myristate, and palmitate
lanolin and lanolin alcohols and oil - used in skin and hair conditioners
octyl dodecanol - skin conditioner
oleic acid (olive oil)
panthenol (vitamin B-complex derivative) - hair conditioner
stearic acid and stearyl alcohol

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Cosmetic Ingredients: PRESERVATIVES and antioxidants (including vitamins) prevent product deterioration:

trisodium and tetrasodium edetate (EDTA)
tocopherol (vitamin E)

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Cosmetic Ingredients: ANTIMICROBIALS fight bacteria:

butyl, propyl, ethyl, and methyl parabens
DMDM hydantoin
methylisothiazolinone
phenoxyethanol (also rose ether fragrance component)
quaternium-15

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Cosmetic Ingredients: THICKENERS and waxes used in stick products such as lipsticks and blushers:

candelilla, carnauba, and microcrystalline waxes
carbomer and polyethylene thickeners

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Cosmetic Ingredients: SOLVENTS used to dilute:

butylene glycol and propylene glycol
cyclomethicone (volatile silicone)
ethanol (alcohol)
glycerin

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Cosmetic Ingredients: EMULSIFIERS break up and refine:

glyceryl monostearate (also pearlescent agent)
lauramide DEA (also foam booster)
polysorbates

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Cosmetic Ingredients: COLOR additives:

Synthetic ORGANIC colors derived from coal and petroleum sources (not permitted for use around the eye): D&C Red No. 7 Calcium Lake (lakes are dyes that do not dissolve in water)

INORGANIC pigments - approved for general use in cosmetics, including for the area of the eye:
iron oxides
mica (iridescent)

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Cosmetic Ingredients: HAIR DYES - phenol derivatives used in combination with other chemicals in permanent (two-step) hair dyes:

aminophenols

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Cosmetic Ingredients: pH ADJUSTERS stabilize or adjust acids and bases:

ammonium hydroxide in skin peels and hair waving and straightening
citric acid - adjusts pH
triethanolamine pH adjuster used mostly in transparent soap

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Cosmetic Ingredients: OTHERS:

magnesium aluminum silicate absorbent - anti-caking agent
silica (silicon dioxide) - absorbent, anti-caking, abrasive
sodium lauryl sulfate - detergent
stearic acid - cleansing, emulsifier
talc (powdered magnesium silicate) - absorbent anti-caking
zinc stearate - used in powder to improve texture, lubricates.

Published by: FDA, May 1994

See More Current Marketed Cosmetic Ingredients below!

Additional Terms:

Cosmetic Ingredients: fragrance-free:
products so labeled may still contain small amounts of fragrances to mask the fatty odor of soap or other unpleasant odors.

Cosmetic Ingredients: hypoallergenic:
cosmetics that are less likely to cause allergic reactions.

in vitro:
from the Latin meaning "in glass," in vitro tests do not involve the use of living vertebrate animals.

Draize test:
an animal test used to determine the effects of different substances on the eyes.

Cosmetic Ingredients: lanolin:
a natural extract of sheep wool used as a moisturizer, which is a common cause of allergic reactions but is rarely used in pure form.

Cosmetic Ingredients: natural:
ingredients extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being produced synthetically.

Cosmetic Ingredients: non-comedogenic:
products so labeled do not contain common pore-clogging ingredients that could lead to acne.

Cosmetic Ingredients: parabens: (methyl-, propyl-, and butyl-)
the most widely used preservatives in the United States, commonly used in;
shampoos, foundations, facial masks, hair-grooming aids, nail creams, and permanent wave products.

Cosmetic Ingredients: propylene glycol:
the most common moisture-carrying vehicle in cosmetics other than water.

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More Ingredient Functions:

ABRASIVES
Substances which are added to cosmetic products either to remove materials from various body surfaces or to aid mechanical tooth cleaning or to improve gloss.

ABSORBENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to take up water- and/or oil-soluble dissolved or finely dispersed substances.

ADDITIVES
Substances which are added to cosmetic products, often in relatively small amounts, to impart or improve desirable properties or suppress (or minimise) undesirable properties.

ANTICORROSIVES
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to avoid corrosion of the packaging.

ANTIDANDRUFF AGENTS
Substances which are added to hair care products to control dandruff.

ANTIFOAMING AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products either to suppress foam during manufacturing or to reduce the tendency of finished products to generate foam.

ANTIMICROBIALS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to help reduce the activities of micro-organisms on the skin or body.

ANTIOXIDANTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to inhibit reactions promoted by oxygen, thus avoiding oxidation and rancidity.

ANTIPERSPIRANT AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic formulation to reduce perspiration.

ANTISTATIC AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to reduce static electricity by neutralising electrical charge on a surface.

BINDERS
Substances which are added to solid cosmetic mixtures to provide cohesion.

BIOLOGICAL ADDITIVES
Substances derived from biological origin which are added to cosmetic products to achieve specific formulation features.

BLEACHING AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products with the intention of lightening the shade of hair or skin.

BOTANICALS
Substances which are derived from plants, mostly by physical means, added to cosmetic products to achieve specific formulation features.

BUFFERING AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to adjust or stabilize the pH thereof.

CHELATING AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to react and to form complexes with metal ions which could affect stability and/or appearance of cosmetics.

COSMETIC COLORANTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to colour the cosmetic product and/or to impart colour to the skin and/or its appendages. All colours listed are substances of the positive list of colorants (Annex IV of the Cosmetic products Directive).

DENATURANTS
Substances which are mostly added to cosmetic products containing ethyl alcohol, in order to render them unpalatable.

DEODORANT AGENTS
Substances added to cosmetic products to reduce or mask unpleasant body odours.

DEPILATORY AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to remove unwanted body hair.

EMOLLIENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to soften and smoothen the skin.

EMULSIFYING AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products and which are surface-active agents that promote the formation of intimate mixtures of immiscible liquids.

EMULSION STABILISERS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to help the process of emulsification and to improve formulation stability and shelf-life.

FILM FORMERS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to produce, upon application, a continuous film on skin, hair or nails.

HAIR DYES
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to colour hair.

HUMECTANTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to hold and retain moisture.

OPACIFIERS
Substances which are added to transparent or translucent cosmetic products to render them more impervious to visible light and nearby radiation.

ORAL CARE AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products for the care of the oral cavity.

OXIDISING AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to change the chemical nature of another substance by adding oxygen.

PRESERVATIVES
Substances which are added to cosmetic products for the primary purpose of inhibiting the development of micro-organisms therein.

PROPELLANTS
Gaseous substances added to cosmetic products under pressure in pressure-resistant containers for expelling the contents of the containers when the pressure is released.

REDUCING AGENTS
Substances added to cosmetic products which change the chemical nature of another substance by adding hydrogen or removing oxygen.

SOLVENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to dissolve other components.

SURFACTANTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to lower the surface tension as well as to aid the even distribution of the cosmetic product, when used.

U.V. ABSORBERS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products specifically intended to filter certain UV rays in order to protect the skin or the products from certain harmful effects of these rays. In order to protect the skin from these effects, only the use of substances listed in Annex VII of the Cosmetic products Directive is allowed.

VISCOSITY CONTROLLING AGENTS
Substances which are added to cosmetic products to increase or decrease the viscosity of the finished product.

Current Marketed Cosmetic Ingredients:

Liposomes are microscopic sacs, or spheres, manufactured from a variety of fatty substances, including phospholipids. While phospholipids are natural components of cell membranes, the material actually used in cosmetics may be obtained either from natural or synthetic sources. When properly mixed with water, phospholipids form liposome spheres, which can "trap" any substance that will dissolve in water or oil.

Manufacturers say that liposomes act like a delivery system. They claim that, when present in a cream or lotion, liposomes can more easily penetrate the surface skin to underlying layers, "melt," and deposit other ingredients of the product.

Nayad is a trade name for yeast extract. The manufacturer's literature describes Nayad as a "new system that takes yeast cells and refines them hundreds of times.... What results is a highly concentrated, odor-free, unusually potent yeast extract ...."
The same literature reports that "no one really knows how Nayad is working in the skin; all we know for certain is the way it makes the skin look and feel. Test subjects report a noticeable smoothing of lines and wrinkles." FDA has no data to either substantiate or refute these claims.

Vitamins are added to cosmetics by manufacturers because foods containing vitamins A, D, E, K, and some of the B complex group are necessary in diets to maintain healthy skin and hair. Using these vitamins in cosmetics that are applied to the skin surface implies that skin will be nourished by them.

But Stanley R. Milstein, Ph.D., associate director for FDA's cosmetics division, says the notion that skin can be nourished by a vitamin applied to its surface has not been proven clinically. For that reason, says Milstein, a vitamin added to a cosmetic product must be listed in the ingredient label by its chemical name so that it doesn't convey a misleading message. However, FDA does not prohibit listing vitamins by their common names on the principal display panel of a cosmetic as long as the consumer is not misled and no therapeutic claims are made.

Some leaders in the cosmetic industry, such as Neutrogena's Schoen, agree with the FDA position on vitamins in skin care products. Others, such as Chris Vaughn of Sun Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., cite clinical studies done by Hoffmann-La Roche and others that show that vitamins can penetrate layers of skin and have beneficial effects. This, however, would make it a drug use, and manufacturers who use vitamins in their products don't usually make claims that would cause their products to be classified as drugs. Vaughn says that getting a drug classification is time-consuming and expensive, and in his opinion not justifiable because the informed consumer understands the beneficial properties of vitamins. Although the debate about the value of vitamins in skin care products continues, it is generally accepted that a sufficient quantity of vitamin E (shown on ingredient lists as tocopherol), an antioxidant, preserves the fatty components in cosmetic creams and lotions to prevent off-color and off-odors.

Aloe vera is a plant from the lily family whose anti-irritant properties have been recognized since before the days of Cleopatra. It is listed as an ingredient in many skin lotions, but it would take much more aloe vera than most products contain for the anti-irritant properties to work.

Milstein explains that aloe vera, as a cosmetic ingredient, is expensive because it requires delicate processing and handling. A product that contains the 5 to 10 percent aloe vera necessary for the anti-irritant properties to be effective would send the price out of range for many consumers.

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What About Biological Ingredients?

A number of biological products in cosmetics have raised consumer concern:

Human placenta is the nourishing lining of the womb (uterus), which is expelled after birth. When placental materials were first used as cosmetic ingredients in the 1940s, manufacturers promoted the products as providing beneficial hormonal effects such as stimulating tissue growth and removing wrinkles.
(Although newborn infants emerge from the womb with wrinkled skin!) The hormone content and the tissue-growth and wrinkle-removing claims classified the placenta-containing products as drugs, and FDA declared them to be ineffective and therefore misbranded.

FDA's challenge caused placenta suppliers to change marketing strategies by claiming that hormones in their placenta ingredients had been extracted and were no longer in the product. They then offered placental raw materials without medical claims--only as a source of protein.

Can you get a disease from placental cosmetic ingredients?
Bailey says no.
Placenta used in cosmetics is washed and processed many times to destroy any harmful bacteria or viruses. Besides that, says Bailey, the cosmetic matrix (components that bind the ingredients in products) is made from a wide variety of substances, such as alcohol and preservatives, that would present a hostile environment to any viruses or bacteria the placenta might have carried.

Amniotic liquid (from cow or ox) is the fluid that surrounds the developing fetus and protects it from physical injury. It is promoted for benefits similar to those of human placenta and has limited use in moisturizers, hair lotions, scalp treatments, and shampoos.

Collagen (from young cows) is the protein substance found in connective tissue. (Connective tissue binds together and supports organs and other body structures.) A great deal of research has been done on the different types and uses for collagen. In cosmetics, collagen has a moisturizing effect. It is not water soluble, but it holds water. FDA says there is no convincing evidence that collagen can penetrate the skin and have an effect below the surface.

Cerebrosides (from animals or plants) are a type of glycolipid (a chemically combined form of fatty substance and carbohydrate) produced naturally in basal epidermal cells--the deepest layer of skin. After cerebrosides are formed, they are secreted to the outside of the cells and serve as a protective coating. As new cells form in lower layers of skin, the older skin cells move closer to surface layers and start to dry out. During this process, the cerebrosides are chemically changed and form ceramides, part of a network of membranes between cells. Skin moisture and suppleness comes from this network.

The raw material for cerebrosides in cosmetics comes from cattle, oxen or swine brain cells or other nervous system tissues. Alternatively, the raw material may be isolated from plant sources. Industry cosmetic scientists claim that the use of cerebrosides in skin products results in a smoother skin surface and better moisture retention, effects that translate into marketing claims such as luminosity and ever-improving hydration. FDA has not evaluated the studies on which these claims are based.