yavuzyilmaz/cosmetic-ingredients huggingface dataset:
Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
A vitamin C derivative that's created by combining ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C) with a molecule called 3-APPA (it stands for 3-aminoproply dehydrogen phosphate). If you do not know what the big deal about vitamin C is, you are missing out, and you have to click here and read all the geeky details about it. So now, you know that vitamin C is awesome. It's proven to have antioxidant, collagen-boosting and skin-brightening magic abilities, but the problem is that it's really really unstable. To solve the stability issue, the cosmetic industry is coming up with derivatives and Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate (AAP) is a newish version created by a Korean company. According to the manufacturer , AAP is a water soluble, stable derivative that has both anti-wrinkle and whitening effects . They conducted an in-vivo (made on real people) study with 33 participants and found that the test formula, with just 0.5% AAP, "significantly" reduced hyperpigmentation (age spots) after 8 weeks (by 29-33%).  They also measured a "dramatic" decrease in the total number of wrinkles, about 23% after 8 weeks. (If that's dramatic, we are not sure. Also, be patient because after 4 weeks, the wrinkle reduction was only a couple of percent.) As for published studies on AAP, we found hardly anything. We found one done by Estee Lauder that briefly mentions AAP as an antioxidant that adds additional UV protection to sunscreen formulas. Another one done by Oriflame reviewed skin-whitening ingredients and also briefly mentioned AAP as a skin-lightening active . Overall, there is not much data on Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, but it does seem like a promising derivative with antioxidant, anti-wrinkle and skin-brightening properties. If you are into vitamin C derivatives and are happy to experiment, it's worth a go.
Human Fibroblast Conditioned Media
Human Fibroblast Conditioned Media (HFCM) essentially means a " Growth Factor Cocktail " for your skin. We have written more about the most common GF used in skincare, the Epidermal Growth Factor here, so if you are new to the topic head over there to catch up. The TL;DR version is that a Growth Factor is a medium long amino acid sequence (= small protein = big peptide) that works as a cell signaling molecule to stimulate cell growth, proliferation, healing and/or differentiation . Ingredients called "Conditioned Media" cover not one but a mix of Growth Factors derived from some cells grown in a lab. In the EU, human cell-derived ingredients are illegal, so GF products available in the EU usually use a plant source (e.g. barley). In the US, human-derived GFs are all OK, and Human Fibroblast Conditioned Media is derived, as its name suggests, from human fibroblast cells (VIP skin cells for collagen production). The company Skinmedica was a pioneer in using GFs in cosmeceutical skincare, and their version of HFCM contains a "proprietary mixture of growth factors, cytokines, and soluble matrix proteins secreted by cultured neonatal human dermal fibroblasts during the production of extracellular matrix (ECM)". It is claimed to be a physiologically balanced mix of GFs that are ideal for skin cells to regenerate themselves . More specifically, it contains growth factors that can promote angiogenesis ( VEGF and hepatocyte growth factor), modulate inflammation (IL-6 and IL-8), and enhance ECM deposition (TGF-β1 and platelet-derived growth factor-A). Skinmedica has pretty convincing research showing that their products containing GFs (TNS line) work and have great anti-aging benefits. Multiple clinical studies show that the TNS Recovery Complex improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, skin tone and texture . The benefits are even greater when GFs are combined with tried and true anti-aging actives such as antioxidants and retinol . This all sounds really good, however, GFs in skincare are somewhat controversial . As potent mitogenic (= stimulates cell proliferation) molecules, you should not use them if you have any of the skin cancer risk factors high or if you have psoriasis . We have written more about the concerns at EGF . Overall , Growth Factors have increasing evidence (both proper clinical studies as well as some GF products with a cult following) showing that they have great anti-aging benefits. Whether you are comfortable with using human-derived ingredients or if you feel the cons outweigh the pros, is up to you. If you are a better safe than sorry type, daily SPF + retinol is still the golden standard of anti-aging.
Chlorophyll
A natural, oil-soluble colorant that gives olive-green shades . It can be found in all plants that photosynthesize but is commercially produced mainly from grass, alfalfa, and nettles.
Caprylic/​Capric/​Myristic/​Stearic Triglyceride
A vegetable origin emollient that has a similar consistency to lard (solid at room temperature) but melts rapidly up on contact with the skin .  It's claimed to have great skin compatibility, penetrates easily, does not feel tacky or heavy on the skin and does not leave a greasy shine.
Soy Isoflavones
The biologically active, phytoestrogenic parts of the soybean . The most well-known one is genistein , a potent antioxidant that is proven to inhibit UV-induced redness in human skin. Soy isoflavones are also thought to be useful for situations when natural estrogen levels are low, such as during and after menopause . Low estrogen levels can cause skin thinning and collagen loss and soy isoflavones might be able to help with that.
Tetrapeptide-21
A four amino acid (Glycine – Glutamic acid – Lysine – Glycine) peptide that belongs to the group of signal peptides that mimic skin-protein breakdown products to trick the skin into creating some nice new skin proteins, such as collagen (if this sentence is not clear, here is a bit longer and nicer explanation ). According to its manufacturer , Tetrapeptide-21 shows superior collagen, hyaluronic acid and fibronectin (all nice and important skin elements) boosting activity , and can smooth and minimize all kinds of wrinkles. The in-vitro data (made on human dermal fibroblast culture) showed that compared to Matrixyl (the first-generation Matrixyl peptide called Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 ), the collagen production in the presence of Tetrapeptide-21 was almost 2-fold higher (and about 2.5-fold vs the control ). This data was confirmed by an in-vivo study that compared on 60 volunteers 0.5% Tego Pep 4-17 (10ppm of Tetrapeptide-21 ), 5% Tego Pep 4-17 (100ppm of Tetrapeptide-21 ) and 10% Matrixyl (10ppm of Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 ) and found that Tetrapeptide-21 performed better after 8 weeks for skin volume, roughness and elasticity . The manufacturer also did another 60 people anti-wrinkle study with 4% Tego Pep 4-17 (compared to vehicle) where they have some nice before and after pictures showing visible-to-the-naked-eye wrinkle reduction around the eye area .
Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
A light yellow, water loving liquid that works as a self-emulsifying surfactant . It's popular in oil cleansers as it allows the oils to interact with water for easy rinsability.
SH-Decapeptide-7
A high-tech, South-Korean peptide that's made synthetically to be identical to the protein called Met-Enkephalin . It's a 10 amino acid neuropeptide that helps the body to regulate how it responds to harmful things (like heat, cold, cutting or irritation). In general, neuropeptides are believed to be important in wound-healing and the manufacturer claims that Sh-Decapeptide-7 is effective for anti-aging and would-healing skincare.
Magnesium Sulfate
A helper ingredient that is used as a bulking and viscosity controlling agent. It is also an emulsion stabilizer in water-in-oil emulsions , where water droplets are dispersed in the continuous oil phase and not the other way round. It can also be used as a heat generating agent in water-less formulas as it has an instant heat-generating chemical reaction with water.
SH-Octapeptide-4
A high-tech, South-Korean peptide that's made synthetically to be identical to the protein called Leu-Enkephalin . It's an 8 amino acid neuropeptide that helps the body to regulate how it responds to harmful things (like heat, cold, cutting or irritation). In general, neuropeptides are believed to be important in wound-healing and the manufacturer claims that Sh-Octapeptide-4 has strong anti-aging and anti-wrinkle effect as well as rejuvenating effect on aged hair tissue and follicles.
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water
The distillate created from the leaves of the hazelnut-bush-like-magic-tree commonly called Witch Hazel. The distillate from the leaves is probably the gentlest, most diluted version of any kind of With Hazel ingredient . The leaves contain much, much less active components than the bark (4.77% vs 0.04% tannins) and distillates are more diluted than extracts. So this one is probably just a "fancy-water" that resembles the properties of Witch Hazel Extract (astringent, soothing, antioxidant, antibacterial ) in a very mild and gentle way. We have gone into much more details about Witch Hazel here .
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Portulaca Oleracea is a nice succulent with bright yellow flowers and edible nutritious vegetables. It's a famous plant in Korean traditional medicine to treat infection and irritated skin . Modern research confirms that it's loaded with skin-goodies : it's the richest green plant source of omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid), contains NMFs (polysaccharides and amino acids), vitamins (β-carotene), minerals , and antioxidants (yellow betaxanthins and reddish betacyanins). Thanks to all its beneficial components, Purslane Extract has several magic properties: it's a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent and also has wound healing abilities .
Vinyl Dimethicone/​Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
This bamboozling INCI name is given to a spherical silicone powder that has an elastic silicone rubber inner part and a harder silicone resin outer part. It gives formulas a uniquely soft, silky feeling, and has a mattifying and soft focus effect . It is available in different particle sizes and the larger the particle the more line/pore filling effect the powder has.
Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
A surfactant with a positively charged head that has good foaming properties and can be used in cleansing products both for the skin and the hair. If you see this guy in a non-cleansing product then it's probably combined with salicylic acid . The two together go by the trade name Curcylic 40 , and cocamidopropyl dimethylamine works there to make salicylic acid water soluble and stable.
PEG/​PPG/​Polybutylene Glycol-8/​5/​3 Glycerin
A glycerin derived, synthetic oily liquid that is also water soluble and works as a great skin moisturizer . Its moisturizing ability is comparable to glycerin itself and the two together work in synergy to give skin superb hydration. It is also "cosmetically elegant", i.e. non-sticky and non-greasy. It can also work as a co-surfactant helping to dissolve small amounts of oily things (think essential oils or vitamin E) into water-based formulas.
VP/​VA Copolymer
A big polymer (created from repeating subunits) molecule that works as a film former and hair fixative agent . It is a modified version of the first and classic hair fixative, PVP that alternates the water-loving VP (Vinyl Pyrrolidone) units with water-hating VA (Vinyl Acetate) units to create a film that is less brittle and less sensitive to air humidity.
Amodimethicone
A modified dimethicone -type silicone molecule that also contains amino-groups . Having amino-groups means that Amodimethicone also has Nitrogen in its molecule that likes to have a positive charge. Positively charged (or quaternised) molecules are substantive to skin and hair as those are negatively charged surfaces and are excellent film formers . Amodiemthcone is no exception and it is especially recommended for hair-care products for its long-lasting hair conditioning benefits.
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
A handy helper ingredient (a polymer, i.e. big molecule from repeated subunits) that is used to stabilize emulsions as well as to thicken up products . It can also stabilize foam in cleansing products.
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Haematococcus Pluvialis is a microalgae known for being a rich source of powerful, up-and-coming antioxidant, Astaxanthin . The extract comes as a red-colored oily liquid prepared from the resting and astaxanthin accumulating cells of the otherwise green algae. As an antioxidant, it promises to protect against photodamage and thus help to delay skin photoaging. We have written more about Astaxanthin and its benefits here>>
Honey
We all know honey as the sweet, gooey stuff that is lovely to sweeten a good cup of tea and we have good news about putting honey all over our skin. It is just as lovely on the skin as it is in the tea. The great review article about honey in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology writes that it is arguably the oldest skincare ingredient and evidence from around 4500 BC mentions honey in some eye cream recipes. Chemically speaking, it is a bee-derived, supersaturated sugar solution. About 95% of honey dry weight is sugar and the other 5% consists of a great number of other minor components including proteins, amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, and minerals . This unique and complex chemical composition gives honey a bunch of nice skin care properties: it is very moisturizing , has soothing and antioxidant abilities as well as significant antibacterial and antifungal magic powers . There is also a lot of empirical evidence with emerging scientific backup that honey dressing promotes the healing of wounds and burns . One tricky thing about honey though, is that it can have lots of different floral sources and different types of honey have a somewhat different composition and thus somewhat different properties. For example, the darker the honey the richer it is in antioxidant phenolic compounds.  Two special types of honey are acacia and manuka . The former is unique and popular because of its higher than usual fructose content that makes it more water-soluble and easier to stabilize in cosmetic formulas. The latter comes from the Leptospermum Scoparium tree native to New Zeland and its special thing is its extra strong antibacterial power due to a unique component called methylglyoxal . Overall, honey is a real skin-goodie in pretty much every shape and form, and it is a nice one to spot on the ingredient list.
Candelilla Cera
A vegetable wax coming from the leaves of the North Mexican candelilla shrubs (Euphorbia cerifera and Euphorbia antisyphilitica).  Similar to other waxes, it is used to stabilize products and give body to them , or to keep stick type formulas solid. It has a melting point around 70C and has high gloss making it a good choice for lip products.
Ozokerite
A hydrocarbon wax consisting mainly of saturated straight chain hydrocarbons with C18-90+ carbon chain length. It has a high melting point (58-100 C) and it is used mainly in stick type products, such as lip balms to keep the product nice and solid.
Adipic Acid/​Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer
Little, porous spheres that have magic blurring powers, meaning they can optically blur fine lines, wrinkles, and pores. Penstia Powder also improves product texture as the little particles roll on the skin rather than "drag", so the ingredient gives a nice slip and thus silky, creamy texture to the formulas. It can also reduce tackiness and has some oil/sebum absorption capacity.
Sd Alcohol 40-B
SD-Alcohol and some numer+letter refers to alcohol (or ethanol) being denaturated with different kind of additives. These additives make sure that the alcohol is poisonous and bad tasting so that nobody drinks their alcohol-loaded toner. 40-B specifically means the additives are denatonium benzoate and t-butyl alcohol. As for Alcohol Denat in skincare, it's a controversial ingredient. It's a great solvent and makes cosmetically elegant , light formulas but at best it's skin-drying , at worst it's skin-barrier damaging. We have written about alcohol way more here .
Tripeptide-1
A small, three amino acid (glycine-histidine-lysine or GHK) peptide that is famous for being a type I collagen fragment . The theory behind collagen-fragment peptides is that when collagen naturally breaks down in the skin, the resulting peptide fragments signal to the skin that it should get to work and create some nice, new collagen. Adding in collagen fragment peptides, like GHK, might trick the skin into thinking that collagen has broken down and it's time to create some more. So Tripeptide-1 is believed to be able to stimulate collagen production in the skin, and more collagen means fewer wrinkles and younger looking skin. FYI; Tripeptide-1 is the same peptide that can be found in the famous Matrixyl 3000 , but in Matrixyl a palmitic acid is attached to it to increase its oil solubility and thus skin penetration. Another reason why Tripeptide-1 is especially famous is that it is not only a signal peptide but also a so-called carrier peptide that helps to stabilize and deliver copper in the skin. It has a high affinity for copper ions and likes to form a complex with them called Copper-Tripeptide-1 or GHK-Cu . GHK-Cu is a famous and well-researched peptide that does a bunch of things in the skin and we have a shiny explanation about it here . As for Tripeptide-1 in and of itself, without a palmitic acid or copper attached to it, it goes by the trade name Kollaren and according to the manufacturer , it not only stimulates collagen but also other essential skin proteins such as fibronectin, elastin, and laminin. Kollaren is also claimed to be beneficial for acne-prone skin as it can boost tissue repair and thus help acne scars to heal faster.
Octocrylene
An oil-soluble chemical sunscreen agent that protects skin in the UVB and somewhat in the UVA II range with a peak absorption of 304 nm. Its protection is not strong enough on its own but it is quite photostable (loses 10% of SPF protection in 95 mins) and is often used to stabilize other photo-unstable UV-filters , for example, Avobenzone . It is also often used to improve the water resistance of the products. Octocrylene's safety profile is generally quite good, though a review study in Contact Dermatitis reports an "increasing number of patients with photo contact allergy to octocrylene." Mainly adults with ketoprofen-sensitivity and children with sensitive skin are affected, so if you have a small kid, it is probably better to use octocrylene-free sunscreens.
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Turmeric is the yellow spice you probably know from curry and Indian food. It's also a traditional herbal medicine used in Ayurveda for its bunch of anti-something magic abilities including being anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic. As for turmeric and skincare, we have good news: studies show that the root extract and its main biologically active component, curcumin can do multiple good things for the skin. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, it shows some promise for acne-prone skin and a small study from 2013 showed that it might be able to regulate sebum production . It's also a potent antioxidant and skin-brightening agent so it often shows up in anti-aging and/or radiance-boosting products.
Steareth-21
A waxy solid material that helps oil and water to mix together, aka emulsifier . It is super similar to Steareth-20 with just a little more ethoxylation and thus a little more water solubility. It works very well when combined with mostly oil-soluble emulsifiers such as Steareth-2 and the two together can form exceptionally stable emulsions.
Isodecyl Salicylate
Isodecyl Salicylate is an emollient and plasticizer used in cosmetics. A plasticizer is a material that helps to improve the softening and deformation of the formula giving it a nicer feel.
Diglucosyl Gallic Acid
A biotechnologically created molecule that is activated by the skin's microbiome (the massive amount of microorganisms living in symbiosis with the skin) to act as a skin-brightening, anti-inflammatory, and photo protectant ingredient . Once applied on skin, THBG is partially converted by the skin microbiome into THBA (Tri Hydroxy Benzoic Acid – a natural inhibitor of the melanin-producing enzyme, tyrosinase), and the two molecule act in synergy to control the skin color . The duo are claimed to work on 7 (!) levels, from acting as antioxidants (inhibit ROS production and preventing UV induced DNA damage), through to being anti-inflammatory (decrease vasodilation and redness, reduce inflammation), to blocking the melanin creating process in multiple ways (control MITF gene, hinder melanin transfer to top skin layers, and block melanin synthesis even under UV conditions). As for proof, the manufacturer published a pretty well-designed, double-blind, 12-week long study using 2% Brightenyl on 20 Korean women. They concluded that "THBG controls skin tone via the inhibition of melanin synthesis as well as the modulation of skin brightness, yellowness, and redness." They also included nice before and after photos which show visible skin tone improvement and spot fading (but do not expect magic, pigmentation did not disappear, only faded somewhat).
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
A high-molecular-weight emollient ester that makes your skin nice and smooth. It leaves a non-oily, light, "wet" feel on the skin.
Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride
An interesting synthetic molecule that mimics two antioxidant skin enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase . If you are wondering what the heck SOD and catalase are, here is a little background: they are two smart enzymes found in our bodies that speed up the conversion of the evil, cell damaging free radicals (such as superoxide radicals) into friendly and harmless things such as water and oxygen. We wrote some more about SOD here . So this unpronounceable guy is actually a nice molecule that mimics the behavior of the natural enzymes in our skin. Estee Lauder likes this ingredient, uses it and has done some studies to prove that Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride, aka EUK-134, can nicely protect the cells from UVB damage . They hypothesize that "EUK-134, via direct protection of the membrane from UVB-induced oxidative damage, reduces oxidative stress induced MAPK signaling and consequently lowers the level of p53 induction. The protection conferred by EUK-134 results in a significant increase in cell survival following UVB irradiation." Another study (also by Estee Lauder) found that EUK-134 lowers hydroperoxide levels at the surface of UVA-exposed skin in vivo and concluded that this salen–manganese compound is a "unique cosmetic tool to protect the skin surface from accumulating oxidative damage". Other than that, we found a study that examined a serum to manage skin redness in sensitive, pale skin types and contained EUK-134 along with a bunch of other ingredients. The formula examined did reduce facial redness so EUK-134 seems to be tolerated well even by redness-prone, sensitive skin types .
Thioctic Acid
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a great antioxidant that's also part of the body's natural antioxidant system . It's soluble both in water-rich and lipid-rich environments so it's versatile and can interact with many types of evil oxidants as well as other nice antioxidants. ALA seems to be a great choice for topical use as studies show it can penetrate the skin rapidly where it's converted to DHLA (dihydrolipoic acid), an even more potent antioxidant molecule.  A nicely designed (we mean double-blind, placebo-controlled) 12-week study from 2003 confirmed that 5% ALA cream can decrease skin roughness and improve general signs of photoaging statistically significantly.  A slight catch, though, is that burning and warmth in the skin was quite a common side effect , especially in the first 4 weeks. All in all , ALA is definitely a research-proven, great antioxidant but if your skin is sensitive higher concentrations might not be for you.