Ingredients with a documented concern, from official datasets and our reviewed database.
Sensitive skin: Best avoidedPregnancy: Use with cautionBabies & kids: Best avoidedEczema-prone: Best avoided
- Allergy risk:Fragrance is the single most common cause of cosmetic contact allergy.
- Irritation:Frequent trigger of stinging and redness on reactive skin.
Caredermis curated dermatological review
An umbrella term that can hide dozens of undisclosed scent chemicals. Fragrance is the leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetics, and dermatologists routinely advise fragrance-free products for eczema, babies and sensitive skin.
Sensitive skin: Best avoidedPregnancy: Use with cautionBabies & kids: Best avoidedEczema-prone: Best avoided
- Allergy risk:Potent sensitizer, typically blended with MIT (Kathon CG).
- Irritation:Corrosive in concentrate; irritating at use levels.
Caredermis curated dermatological review
The chlorinated partner of MIT, restricted in the EU to rinse-off products only. A leading cause of preservative contact dermatitis worldwide.
Sensitive skin: Best avoidedPregnancy: Use with cautionBabies & kids: Best avoidedEczema-prone: Best avoided
- Allergy risk:Caused an epidemic of contact allergy; banned in EU leave-on products.
- Irritation:Irritating even in people without allergy.
A preservative behind one of the largest contact-allergy epidemics in cosmetic history. The EU banned it from leave-on products and restricts it in rinse-off products to 15 ppm.
surfactant · foaming agent
Sensitive skin: High cautionDry skin: Use with cautionBabies & kids: Use with cautionEczema-prone: High caution
- Irritation:Milder than SLS but still drying for compromised skin.
The gentler cousin of SLS used in most mainstream shampoos and washes. Its manufacturing can leave trace 1,4-dioxane, which reputable makers strip out — an issue of quality control rather than the ingredient itself.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:Named Allergen of the Year 2004; impurities (amidoamine) drive most reactions.
A mild coconut-derived surfactant in countless 'gentle' cleansers. Most allergy is caused by manufacturing impurities, so quality varies by brand.
Pregnancy: Use with cautionBabies & kids: Use with caution
- Irritation:Gentler than retinol but still a retinoid.
A weak retinoid whose contested photocarcinogenicity data suggests keeping it to night products; avoided in pregnancy like all retinoids.
Sensitive skin: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
A fragrance solvent and fixative that must be declared on EU labels as a potential allergen.
- Environmental impact:Poorly biodegradable; can remobilize heavy metals in waterways.
A metal-binding stabilizer that is safe on skin at the tiny amounts used; its criticism is environmental persistence.
- Allergy risk:Rare reports of sensitivity.
A widely approved blue dye with a benign cosmetic safety record.
