yavuzyilmaz/cosmetic-ingredients huggingface dataset:
Gluconolactone
Gluconolactone is kind of an acid , even though you would probably not guess it from its name. It’s a PHA , or polyhydroxy acid. PHAs are close relatives to the famous AHAs, both in terms of similar chemical structure and similar effects on the skin. They are often marketed as new-generation AHAs . So if AHAs do not tell you anything, you can read all about them here . Go and read. We tell you, it’s worth the time. So the main promise of gluconolactone (and also its brother, the other most often used PHA, lactobionic acid) is that it has comparable awesome skin benefits to AHAs but without the irritation as a side effect. Sounds great, right? There was a study done in 2004 that compared a PHA skincare regimen and an AHA skincare regimen  for 12 weeks focusing on irritation and anti-aging benefits. The result? PHAs scored much better at irritation, stinging and burning (and much better means of course much less), and they scored very similar for anti-aging, skin-smoothing effects. There were only two aspects where the AHAs scored a bit better: pinch recoil and skin sallowness. Being gentle on the skin probably comes from the larger molecular size, that means less penetration and less irritation. In fact PHAs are so gentle that you can even use them if your skin is very sensitive (even if you have rosacea or atopic dermatitis) and they are also suggested post cosmetic procedure to prolong and enhance the skincare benefits. Another area where PHAs excel is skin moisturization . They are better at that than AHAs and can help to repair the skin barrier. They are also shown to work successfully together and enhance the benefits of other actives , including azelaic acid for rosacea or hydroquinone for hyperpigmentation. And that’s still not all. Gluconolactone also has antioxidant and chelating properties, which means that it can prevent oxidation of easily oxidised other things. Actually, it’s antioxidant effect is comparable to famous Vit C (though to be fair Vit C is awesome but not a particularly strong antioxidant in itself). And one more super interesting study result: as opposed to AHAs that increase sun sensitivity,  gluconolactone was shown not to do that. Not that we want to tell you not to use sunscreen if you use a gluconolactone exfoliant (please always use sunscreen!), but we thought this is interesting. Bottom line : Gluconolactone is a superstar and especially if your skin is sensitive it’s a must try . It will smooth your skin, even out the skin tone and even give anti-aging benefits and all this without irritation. Yep, must try.
Ethyl Linoleate
A type of oil soluble vitamin F that is used as an emollient . Read more at ethyl oleate .
Sodium Gluconate
The neutralized form of gluconic acid. It's a great ingredient to neutralize metal (especially iron and copper) ions in a cosmetic product. This helps to prevent discoloration of the formula over time or rancidity of cosmetic oils. It can also be a pH regulator and a humectant (helps skin to cling onto water). It's also used in oral care products where it reduces the bitterness of other ingredients. And it's natural, both Ecocert and Cosmos approved. (source: manufacturer info )
Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Extract
The extract of cayenne pepper that contains capsaicin. According to manufacturer info it can stimulate the skin blood circulation that can be useful for anti-cellulite or massage products. Be careful with it if your skin is sensitive because it's also a skin irritant .
Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate
A new tripeptide (meaning that it contains three building blocks called amino acids) that can do all kinds of good things for the skin, at least according to the ingredient's manufacturer . Its modest trade name is simply "PerfectionPeptide P3" :) and it can supposedly reactivate the natural desquamation process of the skin. Better desquamation means better skin quality with fewer irregularities and imperfections and in general fewer signs of aging. It also speeds up cell renewal that results in fresh, glowing skin , it intensely hydrates, refines skin texture and reduces wrinkle depth. Hence the name Perfection Peptide. (Don't forget, these are all claims coming from the manufacturer, so maybe take it with a little grain of salt. :))
Yeast Extract
You probably know yeast from the kitchen where you put it into milk with a little sugar and then after a couple of minutes brownish bubbles form. That is the fungi fermenting the sugar . As for skin care, yeast contains beta-glucan that is a great soothing ingredient and also a mild antioxidant.  The yeast extract itself is a silky clear liquid that has some great moisturizing, skin protecting and film-forming properties on the skin.
Soy Amino Acids
Soy Amino Acids are the little components that come from totally chopping up a soy protein. It is a low-molecular-weight water-binding ingredient , that can help to moisturize deeper layers of skin or hair.
Lecithin
A very common ingredient that can be found in all cell membranes. In cosmetics it's quite the multi-tasker: it's an emollient and water-binding ingredient but it's also an emulsifier and can be used for stabilization purposes. It's also often used to create liposomes .
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/​Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
This long-named, polymer molecule (big molecule from repeated subunits) is a helper ingredient that's good at emulsifying and stabilizing oils into water-based formulas. It also acts as a thickening and gelling agent that creates nice, non-sticky and supple textures. It works over a very wide pH range (3-12) and can be used to thicken up low-ph formulas, such as exfoliants. Its recommended used range is 0.3-3%.
Bisabolol
It's one of the active part s of Chamomile that contains about 30% of bisabolol. It's a clear oily fluid that is used in skincare as a nice anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredient.
Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3
A newish peptide with the promise of mimicking the effects of the skincare superstar, retinol (vitamin A) but without its negative side effects. Similar to retinol, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3 is claimed to increase cell turnover and to promote the synthesis of collagen but without skin irritation or stinging. To back up its claim, the German manufacturer did a so-called gene array screening test, where they examined the effect of the molecule on 96 skin-related genes. They did screening for both retinoic acid (the active form of retinol) and our guy Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3. They found that retinoic acid upregulates 21 of the 92 studied genes , and amongst those, 16 genes are also upregulated by Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3 . So they trade named the molecule as Retinopeptide 189, as in a peptide that mimics the effects of retinoic acid. To further prove their point, Symrise (the manufacturer) went ahead and did some ex-vivo testing (meaning testing on human skin explants). They compared a 0.1% retinoic acid solution with 5% and 10% Retinopeptide 189 cream and found that the 10% cream induces a significant increase (43%) in collagen-1 that is comparable to the effect of 0.1% retinoic acid (which performed even better with more than a 50% increase). They also found that both retinoic acid 0.1% and Retinopeptide 189 5% cream increased epidermal cellular layers in the skin explants showing that both ingredients can increase cell turnover , however retinoic acid did significantly better both in active effects as well as side effects. Unfortunately, there are currently no in-vivo test results (at least with could not find any), so if you prefer the tried and true, stick with retinol . However, if you are the adventurous type or if your skin is sensitive and cannot tolerate retinoids, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3 is a promising alternative.
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
A helper ingredient that helps to neutralize the metal ions in the formula (they usually come from water) so it stays nice longer. The special property of this particular ingredient is that it's more effective against more problematic ions, like Cu (copper) and Fe (iron) compared to less problematic ones like Ca (calcium)  and Mg (magnesium).
Sorbitan Isostearate
A handy helper ingredient that helps water and oil to mix nicely together, aka emulsifier . It is especially recommended for protective, baby care and general purpose emollient creams. It also helps to disperse insoluble particles (think color pigments or zinc/titanium dioxide sunscreen) nice and even in cosmetic formulas.
Sodium Chloride
Sodium chloride is the fancy name of salt. Normal, everyday table salt . If (similar to us) you are in the weird habit of reading the label on your shower gel while taking a shower, you might have noticed that sodium chloride is almost always on the ingredient list. The reason for this is that salt acts as a fantastic thickener in cleansing formulas created with ionic cleansing agents (aka surfactants) such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate . A couple of percents (typically 1-3%) turns a runny surfactant solution into a nice gel texture. If you are into chemistry (if not, we understand, just skip this paragraph), the reason is that electrolytes (you know, the Na+ and Cl- ions) screen the electrostatic repulsion between the head groups of ionic surfactants and thus support the formation of long shaped micelles (instead of spherical ones) that entangle like spaghetti, and viola, a gel is formed. However, too much of it causes the phenomenon called "salting out", and the surfactant solution goes runny again. Other than that, salt also works as an emulsion stabilizer in water-in-oil emulsions , that is when water droplets are dispersed in the outer oil (or silicone) phase. And last but not least, when salt is right at the first spot of the ingredient list (and is not dissolved), the product is usually a body scrub where salt is the physical exfoliating agent .
Alcohol Denat.
If you want to start a debate between skincare experts, mentioning alcohol will probably be a good way to do that (Btw, denat means denaturated and it's normal alcohol with some additives that make it poisonous and bad tasting so that people do not drink it.). It's a controversial ingredient that has definitely many immediate skincare benefits and some potential longer-term drawbacks. So let's see first the benefits , why it's so often used. First, it is a great solvent . There are some ingredients that do not dissolve in water or oil and alcohol is often the way to go. Second, it's great at creating cosmetically elegant, fast absorbing, thin formulas . For example creating a nice, non-oily sunscreen is still a big challenge to the cosmetic industry (because sunscreen ingredients are yucky and oily) and alcohol can help with this problem. Third, alcohol is a great astringent , leaves a refreshing feeling on the skin so it's very popular as a toner ingredient. And last but not least, it's antimicrobial, helps to disinfect the skin so it is common in after-shaves or products intended for acne-prone skin. It even works as a preservative that is often used in natural products. So now let's see what's not so good about it: First, it dries the skin . As an immediate effect for oily skin types that might sound like a benefit, but in the longer term alcohol often dries out the skin so much that the skin compensates with extra oil production. Famous dermatologist, Dr. Leslie Baumann in her Skin Type Solution book suggests avoiding alcohol if it's in the first 7 positions on the ingredient list. Skin care expert, Paula Begoun thinks that alcohol not only dries the skin but regular exposure to it damages the skin barrier and causes inflammation . Not everyone agrees with this. Michelle from Labmuffin did a great article detailing why the in-vitro studies on skin cells in a petri dish with alcohol do not apply to skincare in real life, and why a skincare product with 5-10% alcohol is totally ok. So the bottom line is that alcohol (and to further complicate we are talking only about simple, volatile, low molecular weight alcohols here) is debated . What seems to be a fact is that it's drying but it also has several benefits. Based on that it's up to you to decide if it's something to avoid or not.
Pseudoalteromonas Exopolysaccharides
It's a biotechnological marine alternative to famous IT-moisturizer and humectant hyaluronic acid (HA). It's obtained by the fermentation of a marine bacterial strain. According to the manufacturer it's rich in the same monosaccharide, called glucuronic acid as HA,  hence it has a similar effect on the skin. Moisturization and wrinkle smoothing are the two main promises.
Polysorbate 60
A common little helper ingredient that helps water and oil to mix together, aka emulsifier.
Isohexadecane
A light, velvety, unique skin feel liquid that is a good solvent and also makes the skin feel nice and smooth (aka emollient ). It's often used in makeup products mixed with silicones to give shine and slip to the product. It's also great for cleansing dirt and oil from the skin as well as for taking off make-up.
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
It's a helper ingredient that helps to thicken up formulas and form a nice gel texture. It leaves a rich, elegant feel with a velvety finish on the skin and works over a wide pH range.
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane is a silicone that is water dispersible (as opposed to most other silicones that are usually oil dispersible). It makes the skin smooth and nice ( emollient ), moisturizes , helps to reduce tackiness, and also has some foam boosting properties. It is often used in light, watery formulas to give them an extra silky feel .
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
It's a pretty new peptide trade-named MATRIXYL™ synthe ’6 . The manufacturer claims that it can boost the production of 6 major components of the skin matrix (collagen I, III, IV, fibronectin, hyaluronic acid and laminin 5) that result in more even skin and fewer wrinkles particularly on the forehead and crow's feet . Using 2% of the active for two months daily, women reported a decrease in wrinkles by 31% up to 100%.
Lactobionic Acid
Lactobionic acid is the brother or maybe the sister of gluconolactone . Usually, it’s called a PHA, though some studies call it bionic acid or aldobionic acid. Not that this matters too much. What matters is that it’s similarly awesome to gluconolactone. So go read about gluconolactone to get the idea. In a nutshell,  it’s a next generation AHA , with almost all the benefits and more and without the irritation. It gently lifts off dead skin cells and makes your skin smooth and even. It moisturizes and helps the skin barrier . Can be used on sensitive skin too or post cosmetic procedure.  In the long run, it has anti-aging benefits (though a tad less than AHAs), and it’s even an antioxidant. Must try, just like the other AHAs.
Copper Lysinate/​Prolinate
An essential amino acid - mineral complex that is part of the pretty new anti-aging complex called Neodermyl . The manufacturer claims that the complex is able to boost skin's own collagen I and III as well as elastin production . Read more details at methylglucoside phosphate .
Methylglucoside Phosphate
It's a pretty new anti-aging ingredient that is a " safe and pre-activated source of energy to feed aging skin cells ". It's part of an anti-aging complex trade named Neodermyl , where methylglucoside phosphate is combined with the essential amino acids proline, lysine and also copper. This complex is claimed to be able to increase the collagen I and III production of skin and even more surprisingly, also the elastin production . Both slow down with age and beeing able to boost the skin's own production of these super important proteins results in improved skin firmness and elasticity . This is a very big deal, especially the elastin part, as there is not yet a clinically proven active ingredient that is able to boost the skin's own elastin production. There are also very few ones (think vitamin C, glycolic acid, and retinol) that are proven to boost collagen.  The claims about Neodermyl are not yet confirmed in independent studies but the manufacturer did do some very convincing testing that showed a visible reduction of wrinkle depth and volume in just 15 days . If you are into anti-aging, this is a new active that might be worth a try.
Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract
Red Marine Algae extract that works as a skin protectant and also helps to thicken up products . According to skincare manufacturer Indeed Laboratories , it's a nutrient-rich mineral that mildly stimulates circulation which helps famous IT-moisturizer, hyaluronic acid to penetrate into the skin deeper.
Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum
Tamarind seed gum is a polysaccharide that moisturizes and smoothes the skin . According to manufacturer info , it also improves the skin's elasticity and leaves an extremely pleasant velvety feeling on the skin.
Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract
A chemically chopped up version of normal yeast extract that works as a skin moisturizer . It often comes to the formula as part of a moisturizing, skin smoothing complex trade named Optim Hyal . Combined with polyglucuronic acid and some helper ingredients the complex is obtained by bio-fermentation and - according to the manufacturer - it can stimulate the hyaluronic acid synthesis in the skin. (It does that by containing so-called Glycokines, specific signaling oligosaccharides that mimic the hyaluronic acid fragments in the skin.) And more hyaluronic acid means smoother, better moisturized and more supple skin.
Polyglucuronic Acid
An oligosaccharide that works as a skin moisturizer . It's part of a moisturizing, skin smoothing complex trade named Optim Hyal that is supposed to optimize the hyaluronic acid content in the skin. More info at hydrolyzed yeast extract .
Saccharide Isomerate
A 100% natural and plant-derived moisturizer that mimics the natural carbohydrate fraction found in the upper layer of the skin. Its special magic power is to bind to the skin stronger and longer than other moisturizer ingredients do so it can keep the skin hydrated longer than usual .
Chlorphenesin
A little helper ingredient that works as a preservative. It works against bacteria and some species of fungi and yeast. It's often combined with IT-preservative, phenoxyethanol .
Lactobacillus/​Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract
Yerba Santa is a nice plant that's native to California and North Mexico. As for skincare, its leaves are rich in moisturizing mucopolysaccharides and glycoproteins . This paticular extract is obtained by fermenting the leaves of the plant with the bacteria Lactobacillus lactis. The fermentation helps to break down the complex bio-molecules in the plant and helps to isolate the beneficial components such as the glycoproteins. The extract is not only a simple moisturizer but it also enhances emolliency , gives skin a soft and smooth feel, helps to reduce tackiness and might reduce skin irritation . (source: manufacturer info )
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
A cellulose-derived helper ingredient that is created by attaching a water-hating part (cetyl group) to the water-loving thickener, Hydroxyethylcellulose . The resulting thing, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose is also a thickener but with some surface active properties (as part of the molecule is water-loving and part of it is oil loving). Thanks to its surface-active properties, it also works as an emulsion stabilizer .
Phospholipids
A type of lipid that's the major (about 75%) component of all cell membranes. As for skincare, it works as an emollient and skin-identical ingredient . It has a water-loving head with two water-hating tails and this structure gives the molecule emulsifying properties . It is also often used to create liposomes , small spheres surrounded by phospholipid bi-layer designed to carry some active ingredient and help its absorption.
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
It's a super small , chemically chopped up version of sodium hyaluronate . Its trade name is miniHA, and its molecular weight is 10 kDa. This counts as really tiny given that "normal" HA has a molecular weight of 0.5-2 million Da. To be honest, low molecular weight (LMW), and especially this ultra-low molecular weight HA is a controversial ingredient . On the upside, it can penetrate the skin better (though 10kDa still counts as big!) and might be able to moisturize the deeper layers of the skin where normal HA cannot get. Also, according to the manufacturer of miniHA , it has better antioxidant activity than a 1.6MDa version HA and it also has better sun protection and after-sun repair abilities than the higher MW versions. It also works in synergy with higher molecular weight versions , and the combination of 0.1% 1.45MDa-HA + 0.1% 380 kDa-HA + 0.1% miniHA hydrated the skin significantly better than 0.3% 1.45MDa-HA alone. On the downside, the biological role of LMW-HA in the skin is being a pro-inflammatory signaling agent and there is a study by another manufacturer called Evonik showing that HA versions with smaller than 50kDa molecular weight might be pro-inflammatory when put on the skin. Granted, the study was only done on reconstituted human epidermis, so it might or might not be like this on real human skin. If you wanna get confused and read much more about hyaluronic acid and what the different molecular weight versions might or might not do, click here and read our excruciatingly long description .
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
A type of bucket or donut-shaped molecule with a water-loving outer side and an oil-loving inner side that is used mostly to encapsulate other actives in cosmetics.
Sodium Citrate
A little helper ingredient that is used to adjust the pH of the product. It also helps to keep products stay nice longer by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (they usually come from water).
Leuconostoc/​Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
It's an alternative, natural preservative that comes from radishes fermented with Leuconostoc kimchii, a lactic acid bacteria that has been used to make traditional Korean dish, kimchi. During the fermentation process, a peptide is secreted from the bacteria that has significant antimicrobial properties . It is one of the more promising natural preservatives that can be used even alone (recommended at 2-4%), but it's not as effective as more common alternatives, like parabens or phenoxyethanol .
Hexyl Cinnamal
A common fragrance ingredient that smells like jasmine . It is one of the “EU 26 fragrances” that has to be labelled separately because of allergen potential . Best to avoid if your skin is sensitive.
Benzyl Salicylate
It’s a common fragrance ingredient that has a light floral smell .  It’s one of the “EU 26 fragrances” that has to be labelled separately (and cannot be simply included in the term “fragrance/perfume” on the label) because of allergen potential. Best to avoid if your skin is sensitive.
Geraniol
Geraniol is a common fragrance ingredient . It smells like rose and can be found in rose oil or in small quantities in geranium, lemon and many other essential oils. Just like other similar fragrance ingredients (like linalool and limonene ) geraniol also oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic. Best to avoid if you have sensitive skin.