yavuzyilmaz/cosmetic-ingredients huggingface dataset:
Titanium Dioxide
Titanium Dioxide is one of the two members of the elite sunscreen group called physical sunscreens (or inorganic sunscreens if you’re a science geek and want to be precise ). Traditionally, UV-filters are categorized as either chemical or physical. The big difference is supposed to be that chemical agents absorb UV-light while physical agents reflect it like a bunch of mini umbrellas on top of the skin. While this categorization is easy and logical it turns out it's not true. A recent, 2016 study shows that inorganic sunscreens work mostly by absorption, just like chemical filters, and only a little bit by reflection (they do reflect the light in the visible spectrum, but mostly absorb in the UV spectrum). Anyway, it doesn't matter if it reflects or absorbs, Titanium Dioxide is a pretty awesome sunscreen agent for two main reasons: it gives a nice broad spectrum coverage and it's highly stable . Its protection is very good between 290 - 350 nm (UVB and UVA II range), and less good at 350-400 nm (UVA I) range. Regular sized Titanium Dioxide also has a great safety profile , it's non-irritating and is pretty much free from any health concerns (like estrogenic effect worries with some chemical filters ). The disadvantage of Titanium Dioxide is that it's not cosmetically elegant , meaning it's a white, "unspreadable" mess. Sunscreens containing Titanium Dioxide are often hard to spread on the skin and they leave a disturbing whitish tint . The cosmetic industry is, of course, really trying to solve this problem and the best solution so far is using nanoparticles . The itsy-bitsy Nano-sized particles improve both spreadability and reduce the whitish tint a lot, but unfortunately, it also introduces new health concerns. The main concern with nanoparticles is that they are so tiny that they are absorbed into the skin more than we want them (ideally sunscreen should remain on the surface of the skin). Once absorbed they might form unwanted complexes with proteins and they might promote the formation of evil free radicals. But do not panic, these are concerns under investigation. A 2009 review article about the safety of nanoparticles summarizes this, "to date, in-vivo and in-vitro studies have not demonstrated percutaneous penetration of nanosized particles in titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sunscreens". The English translation is, so far it looks like sunscreens with nanoparticles do stay on the surface of the skin where they should be . All in all , Titanium Dioxide is a famous sunscreen agent and for good reason, it gives broad spectrum UV protection (best at UVB and UVA II), it's highly stable, and it has a good safety profile. It's definitely one of the best UV-filter agents we have today , especially in the US where new-generation Tinosorb filters are not (yet) approved.
PEG-6 Caprylic/​Capric Glycerides
A water-loving liquid that's clearly soluble in aqueous surfactant solutions , can solubilize oils and oil-soluble ingredients and has a nice skin feel. It's a popular ingredient in micellar cleansing waters.
Microcrystalline Cellulose
Cellulose is an important component of the cell walls of green plants and it's the most abundant natural polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) on Earth. If the polymer structure is not too big (less than 200 repeated units), cellulose becomes microcrystalline cellulose. In skin care, it comes as a fine or less fine white powder. The less fine (bigger particle size) version is used as a gentle scrubbing agent (a nice natural, biodegradable alternative to now banned plastic polyethylene) and the ultra fine version is used as a helper ingredient that gives a super-silky, soft touch , reduces tackiness or greasiness and can also be used as a mattifying agent . Combined with Cellulose Gum , it also works as a nice gelling agent .
Pullulan
If you ever wondered what those little Listerine breath strips were made of, you found your answer! Pullulan is a polysaccharide polymer , which basically means that it’s a big molecule made up of smaller sugar molecule units. It dissolves in water and can make a thin, elastic, and moisture-absorbing film when spread on the skin that can cause an instant tightening effect . It can also be used as a thickener to get a silicone-like feel and can be used in peel-off masks. Btw, it's made from fungus via fermentation.
Teprenone
An anti-aging active ingredient that's claimed by its manufacturer to fight "all signs of aging" from dehydration, damaged skin barrier, and redness to age spots, wrinkles, and even pore s. It works by telomere (the protecting end part of the chromosomes that get shorter during chromosome replication) stabilization and DNA maintenance and is claimed to be able to expand cell lifespan by a third . It might also improve the tissue quality by optimizing cell communication and cell metabolism. The manufacturer did a simple blind study of 24 participants to back up these rather extraordinary claims. They found that 3% Renovage cream used for 6 months increased skin moisturization by 30-58% for all panelists, improved barrier integrity by 19-46% for 75% of panelists and fade UVsunspotss by 42 to 56% for all panelists. They also found that after 1 month 75% of the panelists showed an improvement in skin firmness (by 12-35%), elasticity (by 11-31%) and tone (by 19-45%). Renovage also helped skin surface smoothness (roughness on neckline improved by 36%), dilated pores (-17% after 1 month, -26% after 6 months) and skin redness (-30.5%). Phew, that was a long list! The point is that Teprenone seems to be a promising fix-it-all kind of anti-aging ingredient though all this info comes from one small test made by the manufacturer, so at this point, it's more of a promise than a proven reality .
Erythrulose
A fermentation derived, natural (Ecocert approved) keto-sugar that works as a self-tanning active . It's claimed to lead to a deep, even and long-lasting tan without streaks and without causing skin dryness. Compared to the other self-tanning active, DHA, Erythrulose works slower (takes a few days to develop the color, while with DHA it's only a couple of hours) but it also lasts longer. The two self-tanning actives are usually combined to give you  fast but long lasting tans.
Lactobacillus/​Kelp Ferment Filtrate
A viscous yellow to amber colored liquid that's coming from the fermentation of Sea Kelp using lactobacillus. The idea behind the fermentation is that it breaks down the cell walls of the kelp so that the useful stuff inside the cells become bio-available for the skin. Sea Kelp Ferment is claimed to be an excellent oil-free moisturizer, emollient , and film former . Might also have some skin soothing properties.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1 is a bit of a special snowflake among peptides as it's not a wrinkle-smoothing, anti-aging active like most of the other ones but it can stimulate pigmentation and melanin production (by interacting with a skin cell receptor called MC1R ). As melanin not only gives the skin its nice tanned color but also works as a natural protection factor, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, aka Melitane does the same.  It not only boosts a natural or an artificial tan but gives extra protection against UV-induced DNA and free radical damage and protects the skin against UV-caused redness.
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
A soothing molecule whose special feature is to instantly decrease stinging and burning sensations. According to the manufacturer's impressive numbers , it can reduce stinging up to 78% and burning sensation by up to 80% after just 3 minutes. It is so effective because it works at a cellular level via intercepting the signals caused by the irritation before they can reach the neuro-receptor. This means that we feel stinging and burning sensations much less and the skin's tolerance threshold is increased . The effectiveness of SymSitive was also backed up by a comparative study. It found that both 4‐t‐Butylcyclohexanol and fellow cell-communicating, soothing molecule acetyl dipeptide‐1 cetyl ester works, but 4‐t‐Butylcyclohexanol works better.
Cetraria Islandica Thallus Extract
Though it's commonly called Iceland Moss, this one is actually a lichen . Not one but two things ( a fungus + an algae ) living in symbiosis under extreme environments (like alpine and arctic regions). It's an edible folk medicine that's used traditionally in the arctic regions to cure cold, cough, and sore throat. It's a so-called demulcent, an agent that forms a soothing and moisturizing film over the mucous membranes and relieves dryness and irritation causing the cough. When you slather Cetraria Islandica all over your face, the same moisturizing and film forming effect happens. It's due to the polysaccharides (big sugar molecules) called lichenan and isolichenan that are abundant in Iceland Moss.
Polypodium Vulgare Rhizome Extract
A plant extract coming from the rhizomes of a small, wintergreen fern living across Europe. The main actives in the rhizome are called polypodine A and B that are claimed to have adaptogenic (increasing the resistance to stress and aging) and anabolic (enhance protein synthesis and enhance physical performance) effects. According to the manufacturer , Polypodine A helps skin repair after superficial wounds, stimulates keratinocyte (a type of skin cell) differentiation and can delay oxidative stress and enzyme related skin damage . Polypody also works synergistically with Iceland moss to support its film forming and moisturizing activity due to its saponin content.
Tin Oxide
Far from the tin cans you find in the supermarket, Tin Oxide is mostly used when dealing with so-called effect pigments , tricky composite pigments that can do color travel (change color depending on the viewing angle) or give multiple color effect. It's often found alongside Mica (as a base material) and Titanium Dioxide (as a coating) to give a glossy, pearlescent effect . Together, they make up a trademarked technology called RonaFlair Blanace from the German manufacturer Merck. According to their info, this combination can balance out undesirable tones in the skin , making it a popular choice for brightening products and highlighters. Other than that, CosIng (the official EU INCI database) lists its uses as being a bulking agent (to increase the volume of products), as well as a physical exfoliant or an opacifying agent, but being part of composite effect pigments is a much more common use case.
Camelina Sativa Seed Oil
The oil coming from the seeds of a flowering plant called Camelina or Gold of pleasure . Similar to lots of other plant oils it's loaded with nourishing and moisturizing fatty acids . Where it's not so similar to other oils, is that it's a very rich source (30-40%) of fairly rare Alpha-linolenic acid (aka omega-3) and contains only less of the more common linoleic (15-24%) and oleic acids (10-16%).  Alpha-linolenic acid is a very important one with anti-inflammatory properties and the lack of it can cause continuously dry skin. Other than fatty acids, Camelina oil also contains antioxidant vitamin E (54-78mp/100g) as well as more than usual amounts of moisturizing cholesterol and a phytosterol called brassicasterol . All in all, a goodie plant oil that's especially recommended for dry and sensitive skin types .
Prunus Domestica Seed Extract
A straw-yellow to orange-yellow oil coming from the kernels of a native French plum called Ente Plum. According to the manufacturer , the oil is a high-oleic one (about 70% oleic acid and 20% linoleic acid ), that makes the oil highly nourishing and moisturizing . It also contains relatively high amounts of antioxidant vitamin E , about 700 ppm that's three times more than in olive oil . Plum oil also gives the skin an exceptionally silky and nice feeling, penetrates quickly and has a unique natural fragrance. The “top note” is similar to bitter almond, that evolves later to a more complex fruity fragrance.
Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables
In general, the unsaponifiable part of an oil is always the one that resists soap making . If you want to know more about this, we have written a short explanation about what can and cannot be saponified in an oil at sunflower oil unsaponifiables (2nd paragraph) . Avocado oil contains much more (about 5-12%) unsaponifiables than most other oils, which is only 1-2% of oils usually. The major components in the unsaponifiable part are skin nourishing and soothing sterols (β-Sitosterol mainly and some campesterol) and the most potent antioxidant type of vitamin E , α-Tocopherol.
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
The fragrant essential oil coming from the whole plant of Rose Geranium . It has a lovely scent with a mix of rose and citrus. Like most essential oils, it contains antioxidant and antimicrobial components , but the main ones are fragrant constituents (like geraniol and citronellol ). Be careful with it, if your skin is sensitive.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
A synthetic liquid oil that can replace mineral oil or silicone oils in the cosmetic formulas. There are different grades depending on the molecular weight ranging from very light, volatile, non-residue leaving ones to more substantial, slight residue leaving ones. Apart from leaving the skin soft and smooth (emollient), it's also used as a waterproofing agent in sunscreens or makeup products and as a shine enhancer in lip gloss formulas.
Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract
A natural extract coming from a brown alga living in the Mediterranean. It's claimed to be an anti-pollution active ingredient that acts as a protective screen against environmental pollution. It's also claimed to improve skin resistance due to stronger cell cohesion and by stimulating the synthesis of calcium-dependent cellular structures such as desmosomes and keratins.
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
The unsaponifiable part of sunflower oil . It's the small part of the oil that resists saponification, the chemical reaction that happens during soap making. If you want to understand saponification more, here is a short explanation (if not, we understand, just skip this paragraph): Oils are mostly made up of triglyceride molecules (a glycerin + three fatty acids attached to it) and during the soap making process a strong base splits the triglyceride molecule up to become a separate glycerin and three soap molecules (sodium salts of fatty acids). The fantastic Labmuffin blog has a handy explanation with great drawings about the soap-making reaction. So, the triglyceride molecules are the saponifiable part of the oil, and the rest is the unsaponifiable part. In the case of sunflower oil, it's about 1.5-2% of the oil and consists of skin nourishing molecules like free fatty acids (fatty acids not bound up in a triglyceride molecule, it contains mainly (48-74% according to its spec) barrier building linoleic acid ), tocopherol (vitamin E) and sterols. According to manufacturer's info , it's an oily ingredient that not only simply moisturizes the skin but also has great lipid-replenishing and soothing properties . The clinical study done by the manufacturer (on 20 people) found that a cream with 2% active increases skin moisturization by 48.6% after 1 hour, and 34.2% after 24 hours. Applied twice daily for 4 weeks, the study participants had a major improvement in skin dryness, roughness, and desquamation (skin peeling) parameters.
PEG-10 Dimethicone
A silicone emulsifier that helps water and silicone oils to mix nicely together. It can also be used together with plant oil + silicone oil mixtures.
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
The snappily named Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone is a silicone emulsifier fluid whose main thing is being a good dispersant for powders such as mineral UV filters or color pigments. According to the manufacturer Kobo , this partly water- and partly oily soluble form of dimethicone helps filters like Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide disperse more evenly and thus provide better UV protection while also minimizing any white-cast that often comes hand-in-hand with mineral filters. This is why it can also be found in makeup products like eyeshadows and concealers, as it helps disperse color pigments in the same way.
Dimethicone/​PEG-10/​15 Crosspolymer
A PEG-modified self-emulsifying crosslinked silicone elastomer surfactant that helps water to mix nicely with silicone oils , aka a water in silicone emulsifier. It creates highly stable micelle structures that break upon application of the product so it is ideal for  “water drop” like cream formulations .
Sodium Polyacrylate
A superabsorbent polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) that has crazy water binding abilities. Sometimes its referred to as "waterlock" and can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As for its use in cosmetic products, it is a handy multi-tasker that thickens up water-based formulas and also has some emulsifying and emulsion stabilizing properties.
Acrylonitrile/​Methyl Methacrylate/​Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Thermoplastic (a type of plastic that becomes moldable at higher temperatures and solidifies upon cooling) microspheres (tiny balls) that are generally used as lightweight fillers . As for cosmetics, we have found a patent from Living Proof that claimes a hair spray composition with our microsphere to "surprisingly increase the volume of hair ". Other than that, the L'Oreal group seems to like and use Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer as a hollow, gas-filled (probably filled with isobutane) microsphere as it improves the skin feel of aqueous gel formulas and makes them very comfortable and smooth.
PEG/​PPG-18/​18 Dimethicone
A silicone emulsifier that helps to create water in silicone emulsions.
Dipropylene Glycol
A clear, colorless liquid that works as a solvent and viscosity decreasing ingredient. It also has great skin-moisturizing abilities.
Isobutane
A colorless gas used as a propellant in cosmetic products that come in a spray form. Chemically, it is an isomer of butane (same number of C and H atoms), but while butane has a straight chain structure, isobutane is branched.
T-Butyl Alcohol
A clear liquid with a camphor-like odor that is used as a solvent .
Cholesteryl Oleyl Carbonate
A cholesterol based ester molecule ( cholesterol + oleyl alcohol with carbonic acid) whose unique thing is that it's neither solid nor liquid but something in between called liquid crystals . Multiple cholesteric esters are often mixed togeather to form a " cholesteric liquid crystal " structure that can reflect visible light to produce beautiful iridescent colors .
Cholesteryl Stearate
A cholesterol ester ( cholesterol + stearic acid) that has a unique liquid crystal structure (in between solid and liquid state). Mixed with other cholesteric esters, it can produce beautiful iridescent colors .
Ceramide NG
One of the 9 types of ceramides that can be found naturally in the upper layer of the skin. Ceramides make up a big part (about 50%) of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells (called extracellular matrix) and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated . We wrote way more about ceramides at ceramide 1, so click here to know more.
Cholesteryl Nonanoate
A cholesteric ester ( cholesterol + nonanoic acid) that has a unique liquid crystal structure (in between solid and liquid state). Mixed with other cholesteric esters, it can produce beautiful iridescent colors .
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
A yellow-greenish oil coming from the seeds of Cranberry. Similar to other emollient plant oils, it is loaded with nice fatty acids . It contains a very balanced 1:1 ratio of anti-inflammatory omega-3 (aka linolenic acid ) and barrier repairing omega-6 (aka linoleic acid ) (30-38%), and also a decent amount of skin-nourishing omega-9 , aka oleic acid . It also has high vitamin E content and significant antioxidant properties. Other than being a nice emollient plant oil, we also found a research showing that cranberry oil has wound-healing potential .
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
The emollient plant oil coming from the seeds of Crambe Abyssinica , a not very well-known plant native to the Ethiopian Highlands. It has a unique fatty acid profile and contains high amounts of erucic acid (50-65%), a 22 carbon long unsaturated fatty acid. The oil is described as having an elegant, silky and cushioning skin feel, kind of silicone-like . Also ideal for hair-care as it gives slip, softness, and shine to the hair.
Tribehenin
It's the triglyceride of behenic acid that works as a thickening or gelling agent , as a compacting agent for pressed powders, and improves heat stability of emulsions.
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
The emollient plant oil coming from the passion fruit . It is a high- linoleic acid oil (about 70% LA and 15% oleic acid ), that makes your skin feel nice and smooth and supports a healthy skin barrier. As a high-LA oil, it is suitable for all skin types including acne-prone.
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
A green-yellowish oil coming from cool places like Tahiti, Bora Bora, and the island of Polynesia. Similar to other more common plant oils, it's loaded with nourishing and moisturizing fatty acids ( oleic acid : 30-55%, linoleic acid : 15-45%, palmitic acid : 5-20% and stearic acid : 5-25%). The special thing about Tamanu oil, though, is that it contains the totally unique fatty acid called calophyllic acid that is suspected to give the oil its amazing healing and regenerative properties . The traditional uses of Tamanu oil range from using it for all kinds of rheumatism (inflammation in joints) to burns, wounds, skin rashes, and chapped lips and modern studies do confirm the wisdom of the old Polynesians. In fact, the wound healing properties of Tamanu oil is so strong that it produces visible improvements even for old (older than 1 year) scars during a 6-9 week period. Other than that, according to manufacturer info , Calophyllum Inophyllum Oil also has significant SPF boosting and antioxidant properties. This latter one is probably due to its significant vitamin E content with delta-tocotrienol (236mg/kg) being the main form in the oil. Overall, Tamanu seems to be an amazing oil for skin that is in need of some regeneration and protection.
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
A mainly oil loving molecule that helps water and oil to mix nicely, aka emulsifier . In itself, it can create water-in-oil emulsions (when water droplets are dispersed in oil), but it is used mostly next to water-loving emulsifiers to create nice and smooth oil-in-water creams.  It can also function as a wetting and dispersing agent helping insoluble particles such as color pigments or inorganic sunscreens (zinc/titanium dioxide) to disperse nice and even in liquids. Chemically speaking, this molecule is "halfway" between Sorbitan Oleate and Sorbitan Trioleate , meaning that it is also an attachment of sorbitan (a dehydrated sorbitol (sugar) molecule) with the unsaturated fatty acid Oleic Acid , but in a ratio of 2:3 hence the "Sesqui" part in the molecule's name.
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
The emollient plant oil coming from the seeds of Pomegranate. The red fruit has lots of seeds (100-200 per fruit), but 7 kg of them are needed for 1 kg of oil. Among the many similar plant oils, Pomegranate oil is a really unique one , as its main fatty acid (60%) is a rare one called punic acid , a so-called conjugated fatty acid with three double bonds. It also contains the common linoleic (2-10%) and oleic acids (3-12%), but only in small amounts. Punic acid is thought to be a biologically active compound, a powerful anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant agent. The oil itself is also claimed to have strong antioxidant properties as well as having excellent nourishing and moisturizing abilities. On top of that, we also found a research that examined Pomegranate as a cosmeceutical source and it concluded that the seed oil can nicely promote the regeneration of the epidermis (the top layer of the skin).