yavuzyilmaz/cosmetic-ingredients huggingface dataset:
DMDM Hydantoin
A controversial preservative that has formaldehyde-releasing properties . It works great against bacteria and also has mild fungicide abilities. Cosmetic chemist, Colin wrote a great article about formaldehyde and DMDM Hydantoin .  He writes that formaldehyde is the perfect example of " the dose makes the poison " principle. It's a natural stuff that can also be found in fresh fruits and vegetables, and eating it in tiny amounts is totally ok. However, in larger amounts ( according to Wikipedia 30 mL of a solution containing 37% formaldehyde) it's deadly. The amount of formaldehyde used in cosmetics either neat or through formaldehyde-releasing preservatives is tiny. Probably that is why the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Broad concluded both in 1988 and in 2008 that DMDM Hydantoin is " safe as used in cosmetics ". However, Colins argues that in the case of formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, formaldehyde is released slowly and the skin has probably not evolved to deal with that. The lingering formaldehyde might be toxic to the Langerhans Cells that are important for the skin's defense system. Another potential issue is that formaldehyde-releasers might also release other things while reacting with amino acids in the skin that is probably the explanation why some people are not allergic to formaldehyde but are allergic to formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. These are all theories, far from proven facts, but we feel that there are some justified reasons why formaldehyde-releasing preservatives and Dmdm Hydantoin count as controversial. All in all, it's up to you to decide if you wanna avoid this preservative group or not. If so, there are other, less risky and more skin-friendly options out there.
Simethicone
A type of silicone that's used mainly to stop the product from foaming when it's not needed. It's also often used to coat the sunscreen agent titanium dioxide for better spreading and easier formulation.
Ammonium Xylenesulfonate
There is not much information out there about Ammonium Xylenesulfonate other than it being a cleansing agent . It's also a so-called hydrotrope, an ingredient that enhances the solubility of things which are only slightly soluble in water. On Ulprospector we could find the ingredient as part of a shampoo surfactant blend.
Sodium Borate
A very alkaline colorless, crystalline powder used in tiny amounts to set the pH of cosmetics products to be just right. In larger amounts, it can be a skin irritant (the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel concluded that sodium borate up to 5% is safe as a cosmetic ingredient, though a 5% solution should not be used on infant or injured skin).
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
A pretty common cleansing agent that can be derived from coconut or palm kernel oil. It's liked for its great foaming abilities and can help to create a creamy and luxurious lather in bath products. It is chemically closely related to known-for-its -harshness SLS , but the Ammonium part makes it milder.
Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes
In general, oleosomes   are tiny-winy (micron sized) spheres that store emollient plant oils (+ some other things). In particular, Safflower Oleosomes are created from safflower seeds and carry safflower seed oil and vitamin E. According to the manufacturer , oleosomes work both as natural emulsifiers as well as time-released delivery systems . Oleosomes on the skin do not collapse at once, but slowly and they deliver the stored emollient plant oil and vitamin E over an extended period of time giving the skin long-lasting moisture .
Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate
An alternative, natural preservative coming from the Leuconostoc bacteria. Koreans have used this preservation method for ages to preserve one of their traditional foods, kimchi (a type of fermented cabbage). Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate contains non-viable microorganisms that show antimicrobial properties against a bunch of other microorganisms. The recommended use level is 2-4%.
Borago Officinalis Leaf Extract
When it comes to borage and skincare, the seed oil is the one that's usually mentioned thanks to its uniquely high gamma-linolenic acid content. But the leaves are not useless either: they contain great antioxidant compounds , like polyphenols and flavonoids and show significant free-radical scavenging activity (though much less than vitamin C and similar to the synthetic antioxidant, BHT ).
Lactobacillus/​Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate
The fancy name for fermented bamboo that's obtained by macerating bamboo stalks and leaves and then fermenting them with Lactobacillus lactis. According to the manufacturer , the end result contains silica ( silicones also come from silica) and powerful antioxidants called isoflavones. Thanks to its silica content, bamboo ferment is not only an antioxidant but can be used as a natural silicone replacement giving slip to the cosmetic products.
Tridecyl Stearate
A clear, colorless oily liquid that works as a medium feel emollient . It absorbs very quickly into the skin, leaves no shine and gives a nice, velvety after-feel.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
The extract coming from the juice containing leaves of the Aloe vera plant . It's usually a hydroglycolic extract (though oil extract for the lipid parts also exists) that has similar moisturizing, emollient and anti-inflammatory properties as the juice itself. We have written some more about aloe here .
Boswellia Serrata Extract
The extract coming from the Indian Frankincense, a medium-sized tree native to India. Mostly the gum-resin is used that is obtained from an incision made on the trunk of the tree.  It contains about 30-60% resin , 5-10% fragrant essential oil ,  and the rest is made up of polysaccharides (mostly arabinose, galactose, xylose). The biologically most active components of the resin are boswellic acids that have anti-inflammatory properties . According to manufacturer info , the boswellic acids rich resin extract is also a potent inhibitor of elastase (an enzyme that breaks down proteins, including collagen) and has antiGAGase activity (protecting the important natural moisturizing factors, glycosaminoglycans in the skin) meaning that it can help the skin to stay firm for a longer time. The reason why we did not award Boswellia Serrata Extract a goodie status is that this INCI name is not clear enough on the type of the extract. It might be a boswellic acids rich, anti-inflammatory extract (that is a goodie) or it might be a fragrant essential oil rich extract used in perfumery or aromatherapy that can be a problem for sensitive skin types.
Sorbitan Palmitate
A creamy solid that helps water and oil to mix, aka emulsifier . Its solid, wax-like nature is useful for oil-based formulas where some rigidity is needed.
Tetrapeptide-14
A peptide designed by a small company (Helix Biomedix) specializing in developing small proteins aka bioactive-peptides. Tetrapeptide-14 is claimed to be a soothing, redness reducing peptide that works by down-regulating a pro-inflammatory signal molecule (called interleukon-6) to prevent inflammation. The peptide is combined with plant extracts (green tea, boswellia) and honey and is sold under the trade name Granactive AR-1423. According to the manufacturer of the complex , 5% of the active reduced rosacea associated redness by 50% over a 4 weeks study.
Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/​Dicaprate
An emollient ester (basically an oil like liquid) with a light, elegant and silky feel. It gives a matte finish to the products. It often comes together with two other esters (called Tridecyl Stearate and Tridecyl Trimellitate ) as the three of them can be blended so that they mimic very closely the aesthetic and textural properties of controversial, but nice feeling mineral oil .
Tridecyl Trimellitate
A viscous, thick liquid emollient that gives lubricity and cushion at low use levels. It's great for night creams, eye area products, and skin treatment products due to the substantive film forming ability.
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
A natural emulsifier that brings a soft and powdery feel to the formula. It's also very gentl e and is recommended for sensitive or baby skin products.
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
A plant based ingredient that helps water to mix with oil (aka W/O emulsifier).  It's especially good for soft to low-viscosity water-in-oil emulsions with non-greasy, pleasant skin feel like lip balms or thick body butters.
Honey Extract
Usually, a glycerin or glycol based extract of honey that has similar properties to pure honey , i.e. moisturizing, soothing and antibacterial magic properties. If you wanna know more about honey in cosmetics, we have a shiny explanation here >>
Astaxanthin
An oil-loving, red-orange colored pigment that is becoming more and more well-known as a potent antioxidant . If being an orange-colored pigment reminds you of beta-carotene from carrots, that is no coincidence: astaxanthin also belongs to the chemical group called carotenoids known for giving yellow, orange, or red color to plants. Our guy comes mostly from microalgae , a well-known and often used source is Haematococcus Pluvialis . So Astaxanthin's main thing is being an antioxidant . You can take it as a supplement or slather it on your skin, it works both ways. A mouse skin study from 2012 found that a liposomal Astaxanthin formula prevented UV‐induced skin damage in multiple ways: UV-induced skin thickening, collagen reduction, and melanin formation were all hindered or prevented when the skin was pretreated with the Astaxanthin formula. Another study from 2012 examined the cosmetic benefits of Astaxanthin and found that combining oral supplementation (6mg/day) and topical application for 8 weeks in 30 volunteers showed improvements in skin wrinkle (crow’s feet), age spot size (cheek), elasticity (crow’s feet), skin texture (cheek) and moisture content of the skin (cheek).  If that would not be enough, a 2017 mouse study found our carotenoid molecule to be effective in speeding up wound healing. Overall, Astaxanthin is an up and coming antioxidant nice to spot on any ingredient list.
Cycloastragenol
A molecule obtained from the astragalus membranaceous root that is claimed to have telomerase activation activity . Telomerase is an enzyme that helps to elongate telomeres, the protective caps at the end of the chromosomes that get shorter and shorter with chromosome replication. The aging process associated with telomere shortening seems to be an up-and-coming aging theory and there are a couple of promising (but not yet proven) actives to hinder telomere shortening and expand cell lifespan. Cycloastragenol is one of these actives with an in-vitro study showing it can "moderately increase telomerase activity".  Another study claimed that cycloastragenol is a "potent telomerase activator in neuronal cells" and "may have a novel therapeutic role in depression".  We could not find in-vivo topical studies to confirm what cycloastragenol may or may not do when we slather it on our face.
Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract
An extract coming from red algae that's rich in milk sugar polysaccharide called galactan. According to the manufacturer , it can stimulate the telosomic protein expression thus limiting the shortening of telomeres . Telomeres are like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces: they give a protective ending to the DNA strands. The problem is that they get shorter and shorter with chromosome replication and after a while, they cannot protect the DNA strands anymore so DNA gets damaged and our cells cannot do their job.  Based on this theory, it's believed that limiting the shortening of telomeres can maintain skin cell longevity and delay the skin aging process . The in-vitro (in the lab) tests by the manufacturer showed that 0.5% Telesomyl on pre-senescence human fibroblasts reduced stress-induced telomeres shortening by 65%. The in-vivo (on people) tests showed that after 42 days, Telesomyl improved the appearance of the dermal matrix by 30.2%,  smoothed the skin’s surface around the crow’s feet area, and improved the perceived age of the panellists by 3 years.
SH-Polypeptide-11
Sh-Polypeptide-11 is a medium sized cell signaling molecule also called Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor. It belongs to the same group of ingredients ( Growth Factors ) as its better-known sister, Epidermal Growth Factor or Sh-Oligopeptide-1 . As its name suggests, FGF can stimulate the growth and proliferation of fibroblast cells (VIP cells that produce among other things collagen). According to manufacturer info , it also stimulates skin regeneration, wound healing and collagen and elastin synthesis. As for research, we could find an in-vitro study that proved that "Recombinant FGF-1 strongly stimulated fibroblast and keratinocyte proliferation . However, the transition of this protein through the SC required an appropriate carrier system - lipid spheres." It's also good to know that slathering mitogenic (= stimulates cell proliferation) ingredients on yourself is somewhat controversial . If you are new to the "Growth Factors and skincare" topic, we have a more detailed explanation of Epidermal Growth Factor, so click here and read all about it .
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
A four amino acid peptide that is claimed to improve puffy eye bags via its anti-oedema and anti-glycation effects. To back this claim up, the manufacturer created an in-vivo study with 20 volunteers using 10% of EYESERYL (that comes down to 0.01% (!) of the pure peptide) and found that by day 15, 70% of the volunteers improved, while 95% of the volunteers improved by the end of the study (60 days). About third of them improved only slightly, third of them showed an ok improvement and third showed a good improvement. They also have pretty convincing before and after photos, so we can tell you that for the lucky ones, the improvement can be real and visible. But, the thing is that puffiness around the eyes can have multiple reasons and one of the major ones is fat accumulation that might happen as we age. No miracle cream or ingredient can do much about that, however, another common reason is water accumulation . If the reason behind your eye bags is this latter one, trying an eye cream with Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 can be a good idea and might bring nice improvements.
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
The freeze-dried, powder form of coconut water (also called the liquid coconut endosperm) that's claimed to be loaded with all kinds of skin-nourishing things : proteins, amino acids, sugars, vitamins, minerals and growth hormones (kinetin) that support healthy cell growth and skin hydration . According to the manufacturer's double blind placebo controlled clinical study , 8 weeks of using a 1% Cococin cream increased skin elasticity by 31.1%.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
An odorless and colorless emollient ester (cetyl alcohol + ethylhexanoic acid) that gives a velvety and silky feel to the skin. It has great spreadability and a non-oily feel. It's a popular ingredient in makeup removers.
Isostearic Acid
A liquid fatty acid created from oleic acid. It's claimed to have great odour, thermal and oxidation stability and is great for  the stabilization of pigments and mineral particles in oils and solvents. It's quite popular in foundations.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
A tripeptide (three amino acids attached to each other: Lys-Val-Lys) that's claimed to protect and boost collagen and improve skin texture . The manufacturer did an in-vivo (made on real people) study with 45 volunteers and found that used twice daily for 84 days 1% and 2.5% Syn-Coll reduces the appearance of wrinkles by 7 and 12% respectively. In another study (also by the manufacturer) with 33 female Chinese volunteers, 77% of the participants felt that Syn-Coll visibly improved the firmness and elasticity of the skin after 4 weeks. What's more, 60% of the participants also noticed a reduction in the look of the pore size also after 4 weeks of treatment.
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14
A peptide that's claimed to do three important things: stimulate collagen production, stimulate the proliferation of fibroblast cells (important, collagen making skin cells) and inhibit collagen-eating, skin damaging MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases - a group of enzymes that do bad things in the skin). The net effect of all this is reduced appearance of lines and wrinkles and more hydrated, youthful looking skin . The manufacturer even claims that in a twelve-week in-vivo study Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14 was compared to FDA-approved anti-aging treatment Renova (0.05% tretinoin ) and the two are equivalent in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14 does so without irritation. That's a very promising result indeed though unfortunately, we could not find the details about the study (like how long, how many people etc.) and one study is never enough anyways, so we will just say that Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14 is a promising anti-aging peptide (while tretinoin is a proven ani-aging superstar).
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/​Succinate
A naturally derived, Ecocert approved material that can help oils to mix into waters, aka oil-in-water emulsifier .
Cellulose Gum
A cellulose (the big molecule found in the cell wall of green plants) derivative that is used as an emulsion stabilizer and thickener .
Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate
A light yellow liquid with vegetable origin that helps water and oil to mix togeather . It's most commonly used in foundation formulas.
Globularia Cordifolia Callus Culture Extract
Plant extract coming from the stem cell culture of heart-leaved globe daisy . It runs by the trade name Resistem and the manufacturer claims that it helps to reduce the level of pro-ageing agents and local micro-inflammation in the skin. Tested on real people (in-vivo) Globularia Cordifolia Callus Culture Extract decreases skin redness (by 13.4% compared to placebo) and enhances natural skin glow (+ 9.2% compared to placebo).
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Though it says fruit oil in its name, the rosehip fruit contains the seeds that contain the oil. So this one is the same as Rosa Canina Seed Oil ,  or Rosehip Oil, known for its high omega fatty acid content (linoleic acid - 51%, linolenic acid - 19% and oleic acid - 20%) and skin-regenerative properties . There is a common misconception that rosehip oil contains vitamin C as the fruit itself does, but vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin hence it is not contained in the oil. The antioxidant and regenerative properties of the oil probably come from the oil-soluble tocopherol s (vitamin E) and carotenoids (pro-vitamin A). Read more here .
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
A so-called dispersant or dispersing agent that's used in inorganic ( titanium dioxide / zinc oxide based) sunscreens or in make-up products to help to distribute the pigments nicely and evenly on the skin. It's also claimed to increase the UV absorption of the sunscreen formula as well as to reduce the annoying white cast left behind by inorganic sunscreens.
Iron Oxides
A bit of a sloppy ingredient name as it covers not one but three pigments: red , yellow and black iron oxide. The trio is invaluable for "skin-colored" makeup products  (think your foundation and pressed powder) as blending these three shades carefully can produce almost any shade of natural-looking flesh tones.
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
A plant extract coming from glasswort, a type of succulent that grows in the salt marshes along the coastline of South Korea. According to its Korean manufacturer , it contains good-for-the-skin things like betaine , amino acids and minerals and the extract can strengthen the skin barrier , increase skin recovery and provide deep moisturization effect . There is also an in-vitro (not done on real people but in the lab) study from 2009 that shows promising antioxidant and skin whiting properties about the Salicornia Herbacea Extract and concludes that "it would be a good candidate for skin rejuvenating agent".
Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract
Astragalus Membranaceus, or Huangqi as the Chinese call it, is one of their most important medicinal herb s that is traditionally used to strengthen "qi", the body’s life force. It has a bunch of magic abilities including tonic , liver-protecting, immunomodulating, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties . Modern research does prove that Huangqi is a valuable medicinal herb and contains plenty of bioactive compounds such as saponins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides . As for skincare and Huangqi, it is well known and used for its general tonic and skin reinforcing properties, as well as for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action. On top of that, we also found a manufacturer claiming that Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract combines anti-aging and anti-blemish properties so it is especially useful for aging, acne-prone skin. In their in-vivo (made on real people) studies, 2% of liposomal Huangqi increased skin hydration, firmness, and smoothness by 20% after 14 days and decreased "blemish-prone skin signs" by 10-15% after 42 days.
Jojoba Esters
Jojoba-derived emollient wax esters (fatty acid + fatty alcohol) that make your skin feel nice and smooth. Chemically speaking, pure jojoba oil is also a wax ester (read our shiny explanation here) , however, the ingredients called jojoba esters on the ingredient lists are made from jojoba oil and/or hydrogenated jojoba oil via interesterification. They have multiple versions with variable fatty acid chain length and the ingredient can have a liquid, a creamy, a soft or firm paste, or even a hard wax consistency. The common thing between all versions is, that unlike most normal triglyceride oils, jojoba esters have superior stability, provide non-greasy emolliency and are readily absorbed into the skin .
Isododecane
A  clear, colorless and odorless, highly volatile (meaning it does not absorb into the skin but evaporates from it) liquid that's used as an emollient. It gives a nice non-oily light skin feel and it can improve the slip of the formula without leaving a tacky residue behind. It's also popular in make-up products as its volatility makes mascaras and foundations last longer. If that would not be enough, it's also an excellent solvent, and it's a regular not only on the ingredients lists of make-ups but also on makeup removers.
Tropolone
A pale yellow solid material that helps cosmetic products not to go wrong too soon aka preservative . It has antioxidant and antibacterial activity and can be used synergistically with IT-preservative phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol and Caprylyl Glycol to form a broad spectrum preservative system for cosmetic formulas.