Ingredient Guides

This will be a work-in-progress page that will be updated as I learn more about ingredients. It will essentially serve as a reference guide to answer the who, what, where, when, how, and why questions about ingredients. 
Last Updated: 12/27/25

  • 12/3/23

  • 3/23/23

  • 5/16/22

  • 1/9/22

  • 1/8/22

  • 4/18/21

  • ​ 7/24/20

(nv) Indicated not vegan
(na) Indicates potential nut allergy
Disclaimer: Most of this information has been directly copied from supplier websites. I am not claiming that this information is mine. If it is my information, I include it in the notes section. 
You also need to keep in mind that what one supplier says may not apply to another. I try to keep the information as general as possible.
Products that have been gifted or in PR will be noted. 

Oil-Based Ingredients:
Vegetable Oils

  • Abyssinian Oil

  • Argan Oil

  • Avocado Oil

  • Apricot Kernel Oil

  • Babassu Oil

  • Baobab Oil

  • Blackberry Seed Oil

  • Blackcurrant Oil

  • Blueberry Seed Oil

  • Borage Oil

  • Broccoli Seed Oil

  • Camellia Seed Oil

  • Castor Oil

  • Coconut Oil

  • Grapeseed Oil

  • Evening Primrose Oil

  • Capric Capric Triglycerides (Fractionated Coconut Oil/Medium Chain Triglycerides)

  • Hemp Seed Oil

  • Jojoba Oil

  • Mangosteen Oil

  • Oat Emollient

  • Plum Kernel Oil

  • Raspberry Seed Oil

  • Rosehip Seed Oil

  • Sweet Almond Oil

  • Sunflower Oil

  • Safflower Oil

  • Tamanu Oil

  • Watermelon Oil

Butters

  • Shea butter (Refined and Unrefined)

  • Cocoa Butter

  • Mango Butter (Refined)

  • Murumuru Butter

  • Kokoum Butter

Waxes:

  • Beeswax

  • Candelilla Wax

  • Double Refined Candelilla Wax

  • Carnauba Wax

  • Rice Bran Wax

  • Castor Wax

  • Microcrystalline Wax

  • Ozokerite Wax

  • Green Tea Wax (Pseudo-wax)

Silicones:

  • Cyclomethicone

  • Dimethicone 1.5

  • Dimethicone 350

  • Dimethicone Satin (Making Cosmetics)

  • SilDerm Illuminating

Silicones Alternatives/Replacements:

  • LuxGluide N350

  • LuxGlide N5

  • Fision EcoSil

  • Dalkon Seed Extract

  • Marula Tetradecane

  • Diisooctyl Succinate

  • Dodecane

  • Lauryl Laurate (also an ester)

Hydrocarbons (Organic Chemistry of 

  • Isododecane 

  • Squalene Light (INCI: Hydrogenated farnesene or C13-15 alkane) (Making Cosmetics)

  • Polyisobutene 250 (INCI: hydrogenated polyisobutene)

Esters

  • Isopropyl Myristate

  • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

  • Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

  • LuxGluide N350

  • LuxGlide N5

  • PEG-50 Shea butter

Fatty Acids:

  • Stearic Acid

  • Myristic Acid

Fatty Alcohols: (Also see Co-emulsifiers)

  • Cetyl Alcohol

  • Ceteryl Alcohol

Thickeners/Oil Gelling Agents

  • Cera Bellina (NV)

  • Silica dimethyl Silylate

  • TKB Thickening Clay

  • LipidThix (INCI: Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil)

Fragrance Oils and Essential Oils

Oil-based Extracts

  • Fruit Acids Oil-Soluble

Antioxidants

Water-Soluble Ingredients:

Hydrosols

  • Cucumber Hydrosol

  • Rose Water

  • Lavender Hydrosol

  • Sour Cherry Hydrosol

  • Witch Hazel 

Surfactants

Emulsifiers

  • Oil in Water:

    • Non-ionic:

      • Emulsifying Wax NF (INCI: Cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate 60)

      • Emulsifying Wax NF (INCI: Cetearyl alcohol, Ceterth-20)

      • Polawax (INCI: Emulsifying Wax NF)

    • Anionic:

      • Cream Maker Mix (INCI: Cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate, sodium stearoyl lactylate)

      • Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

  • Water in Oil:

    • Anionic:

      • Glyceryl Stearate SE (INCI: Glyceryl stearate) Not to be confused with Glyceryl stearate the thickener. This one is a complete emulsifying wax.

    • Nonionic:

      • Lecithin

      • Lecithin Powder

      • Polyglyceryl Oleate

      • Sorbitan Stearate

      • Glycol Stearate IP

      • Glyceryl Oleate

      • Sorbitan Oleate

      • Laureth-3

      • PEG-8 Beeswax

      • Glycol Disterate

  • Cationic Emulsifiers:

    • BTMS-50 INCI: Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Butylene Glycol

    • BTMS-25 INCI: Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol

  • Natural Emulsifiers:

    • Olivem 1000

    • CreamMaker© Green Coffee

    • CreamMaker© Moringa

  • Silicone Emulsifiers:

    • CreamMaker© Silicone

    • LotionCrafter Serum SE

  • Polymeric Emulsifiers:

    • CreamMaker© NAT

    • Sepinov EMT 10 

    • Verisoft 

  • Co-emulsifiers:

    • Cetyl Alcohol

    • Cetearyl Alcohol

    • Glyceryl Stearate 

    • Stearic Acid (Also a fatty acid)

  • Solublizers:

    • Polysorbate 20

    • Polysorbate 80

    • PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

    • PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

    • TEGO© Solve 61

  • Natural Solublizers:

    • Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

    • Sunflower Solubilizer (INCI: Sodium sunflowerseedate)

    • Poly Suga© Mulse D9 (INCI: Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer)

    • FSS SuperSolv (INCI Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside & Water & Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate & Glyceryl Caprylate & Citric Acid & Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate & Sodium Surfactin)

  • Foaming Surfactants:

Stability

Preservatives

  • Water-Soluble Preservatives:

    • Germaben II (INCI: Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Methylparaben (and) Propylparaben)

    • Liquid Germall Plus (INCI: Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate)

    • Optiphen Plus (​INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Sorbic Acid)

    • Phenylpropanol EHG (INCI: Phenylpropanol, ethylhexylglycerin)

  • Oil-Soluble Preservatives:

    • Phenonip (INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Methylparaben (and) Ethylparaben (and) Butylparaben (and) Propylparaben (and) Isobutylparaben)

    • Naticide (INCI: Fragrance)

    • Phenoxyethanol (Not Broad Spectrum!) 

  • Natural Preservatives:

    • Caprylyl Glycol EHG (Not Broad Spectrum) (INCI:  Caprylyl glycol, ethylhexylglycerin)

    • Caprylic Acid Combo (INCI: Caprylic acid, lauric acid, 1,3 propanediol, potassium sorbate)

    • Honeysuckle Blend (INCI: Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) flower extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) flower extract, water)

    • Orange-Lemongrass Blend (INCI: Citrus Aurantium (orange oil), Cymbopogon Citratus (lemon grass oil), Sesamum Indicum (sesame oil), ethyl alcohol)

    • Potassium Sorbate (Not Broad Spectrum)

    • Sorbic Acid (Not Broad Spectrum)

    • Citrus Combo (INCI: Glycerin, citric acid, lactic acid, L-ascorbic acid, didecyldimonium chloride)

    • Radish Root Ferment Filtrate (INCI: Leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, Lonicera Japonica (honeysuckle) flower extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower extract, Populus Tremuloides (aspen bark) extract, gluconolactone)

    • Hexanediol CG (INCI: 1,2-hexanediol, caprylyl glycol)

    • AntiMicro Root Blend (INCI : Hexylene glycol, caprylyl glycol, Wasabia Japonica root extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) root extract, Allium Sativum (Garlic) bulb extract, water)

    • Geogard ETC (INCI: Benzyl Alcohol & Salicylic Acid & Glycerin & Sorbic Acid)

Powders

Bulking Agents

  • Cornstarch

  • Arrowroot Powder

  • Rice Powder

  • Tapioca Powder (INCI: Tapioca starch, polymethylsilsesquioxane, water)

  • Clays

    • Kaolin Clay

    • French Pink Clay

    • French Green Clay

    • Bentonite Clay

  • Sugar

    • Sugar

    • Brown Sugar

  • Salts

    • Dead Sea Salt

    • Pink Sea Salt

  • Oil-absorbers

    • Calcium Carbonate

    • Silica

  • Slip Enhancers

    • Mica Powder

    • Silica

    • Boron Nitride

    • Nylon-12

    • Mica Spheres (INCI: Mica, silica)

    • CSMAX (INCI: Sericite Mica, Carnauba Wax)

  • Powder Binders

    • Magnesium Mysristate

    • Magnesium Sterate 

    • Zinc Sterate

  • Naturals

    • Aloe Vera Power

    • 200x Concentrate Aloe Vera Powder (Need to Add Post)

    • Charcoal Powder

    • Coconut Milk Powder

    • Cocoa Powder

    • Honey Powder

    • Indigo Powder

Colorants

  • Oxides

  • Zinc Oxide

  • Titanium Dioxide

  • Red iron Oxide

  • Yellow iron Oxide

  • Black Iron Oxide

  • Dyes

    • Red

    • Blue No. 1

    • Yellow No. 5

  • Mica

  • Ultramarines/Chromiums

    • Ultramarine Blue

    • Ultramarine Pink