80 ingredients on sunscreen, skincare, hair and toothpaste labels

The main long-wave UVA filter in US sunscreens. Very effective but breaks down in sunlight unless the formula stabilises it.

A photostable broad-spectrum filter used outside the US for 25 years. In June 2026 it became the first new US sunscreen active in about two decades (up to 6%).

A particle-form organic filter covering UVB through long-wave UVA. Photostable and barely absorbed; allowed in the EU at 10% but not approved in the US.

A photostable long-wave UVA filter used in Europe and Asia as an alternative to avobenzone. Not approved in the US; a phthalate impurity in some batches is now capped in the EU.

A weak UVB filter used in high amounts in many US sunscreens. Well absorbed and weakly hormone-active in lab tests; the EU now limits it to 7.34% in face products only.

A long-used UVB filter, and part of the sunscreen that cut skin cancer in the landmark trial. Unstable next to avobenzone; banned in Hawaii over reef concerns.

A weak UVB filter used mainly to top up SPF and help dissolve other filters. Low allergy risk; absorbed, like most organic filters.

UVB filter mostly used to stabilise avobenzone. Effective, but can break down to benzophenone in the bottle and occasionally causes photoallergy.

The most absorbed and most debated sunscreen filter: effective, but a known photoallergen, restricted in the EU and banned in Hawaii. Evidence of human harm is lacking.

Mineral UV filter in sunscreens and a white pigment in toothpaste. Strong on UVB, weaker in long-wave UVA; the concerns are about inhaling or swallowing it, not skin contact.

A mineral filter covering UVB and UVA, including long-wave UVA1. Photostable, rarely allergenic, and one of only three filters the FDA currently calls safe and effective.

One conversion step from retinoic acid, so more potent than retinol. In a trial it reduced wrinkles alongside tretinoin, with less irritation.

The strongest non-prescription retinoid for wrinkles. Skin converts it to retinoic acid; slower and gentler than prescription tretinoin, and not for pregnancy.

The mildest vitamin A form. It needs three conversion steps to become active, so it is gentle but weak; mostly a label ingredient in lotions.

A B vitamin that helps hair only if you are deficient, which is rare. In shampoo it rinses away before it can do anything useful.

A form of vitamin B3 that, at 2-5%, modestly evens blotchy tone, cuts oiliness and supports the skin barrier. Well tolerated by most skin.

A salicylic acid compound marketed as a gentler BHA. Chemically related, but with almost no published clinical testing of its own.

A polyhydroxy acid: a large, gentle exfoliant that also holds water. Suits skin that can't tolerate glycolic acid; the evidence base is small.

The smallest, most penetrating AHA. At 5-10% it smooths texture and evens tone over months, but raises sunburn risk while you use it.

A gentler AHA that also draws in water. As a 12% ammonium lactate lotion it has good trial evidence for very dry, rough and scaly skin.

A larger, slower-penetrating AHA often chosen for sensitive or darker skin. Used in acne peels and now in deodorants that lower skin pH.

Grape and apple acids, usually minor parts of acid blends. Weaker exfoliants than glycolic or lactic acid, with little evidence on their own.

An oil-soluble exfoliant that gets into pores. At 0.5-2% it is an approved over-the-counter acne ingredient with a modest but real benefit.

A plant antioxidant used mainly to stabilize vitamins C and E. In that trio it doubled protection against UV damage in lab skin tests.

The body's main internal antioxidant, sold as a skin brightener. Topical evidence is one small company-run trial; IV 'whitening' drips are unproven and risky.

Rich in the polyphenol EGCG, a strong antioxidant in the lab. Small studies hint at help for acne; anti-aging results in people have been disappointing.

The topical antioxidant with the best evidence, if the formula is right: pure L-ascorbic acid at 10-20% and below pH 3.5, protected from air and light.

Stable, gentler forms of vitamin C that don't brown or sting, but must be converted in skin and have far less evidence than pure ascorbic acid.

A fat-soluble antioxidant that mostly keeps a formula's oils fresh. It helps vitamin C protect skin, but on scars it doesn't help and often causes a rash.

Provitamin B5: a humectant that helps skin hold water and recover from irritation. Very well tolerated, with small but consistent studies.

A cooling, water-rich plant ingredient with some evidence for healing minor burns. 'Leaf water' is a diluted form that mostly serves as a pleasant base.

A water-binding sugar from oats, yeast or mushrooms. A good humectant and film-former; claims that it beats hyaluronic acid or rebuilds skin lack evidence.

The main calming compound in chamomile oil, added to sensitive-skin, shaving and after-sun products. Anti-inflammatory in lab work; little human trial data.

Finely ground oats: an FDA-recognized skin protectant for itch and minor irritation, with small eczema trials. Kind to most skin, but can sensitize infants.

A plant compound sold as a gentle retinol alternative. One small head-to-head trial found it matched 0.5% retinol with less irritation; the evidence is thin.

A marigold extract in balms and body care for soothing and minor skin damage. Radiotherapy trials conflict: one large trial favoured it, another found no difference.

'Cica', the Korean-skincare staple. Its triterpenes aid wound healing in studies; for everyday redness and barrier repair the evidence is small but encouraging.

A traditional soothing flower extract in skin and hair products. Mildly anti-inflammatory in lab work, little trial evidence, and an allergen for daisy-family allergy.

A fresh, cooling scent in body washes, lotions and balms. It adds fragrance and a tingle, not a skin benefit, and is toxic if swallowed.

A slippery seed mucilage used for light hold and curl definition, and as a moisturising film. No health effects.

A citrus extract used for scent and a 'clarifying' image in shampoos and cleansers. No evidence of a health or hair benefit.

Mostly a fragrance. There's no good evidence it treats skin, and air-oxidized lavender oil forms strong contact allergens.

A citrus flavouring in toothpaste and mouthwash. Adds taste; no oral-health effect has been shown.

A soothing, mildly brightening plant extract. Its compounds calm redness and slow pigment in the lab; human evidence at cosmetic doses is small.

Mint gives toothpaste its taste and shampoos their tingle via cooling receptors. It freshens; hair-growth claims rest on one mouse study.

Popular as 'natural minoxidil' on the strength of one small trial with no placebo group. Pleasant scent; hair-growth benefit unconfirmed.

A spice extract whose curcumin is anti-inflammatory in the lab. Evidence on skin is early and small, and it can stain skin yellow.

A plant extract sold as 'natural BHA'. Its salicin is not meaningfully converted to salicylic acid in skin; expect a mild soothing extract, not an acne treatment.

In creams, collagen is a moisturizer. The molecule is far too large to enter skin, so it cannot replace or rebuild your own collagen.

Protein fragments (usually from wool or feathers) that coat and fill damaged hair so it feels smoother and breaks less. A cosmetic effect that washes out.

Short amino-acid chains meant to signal skin to make collagen or to relax expression lines. Small, mostly manufacturer-run trials; effects are modest.

A plant protein used like keratin or silk: it coats hair to make it feel stronger and smoother. Cosmetic, temporary, plant-based.

Proteins from silkworm silk that film the hair and hold moisture, adding softness and shine. A conditioning effect only.

The most common fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash. Among the best-proven ingredients in any personal-care product: it cuts tooth decay by about a quarter.

A fluoride source that works in chalk-based toothpastes where sodium fluoride would be neutralised. Protects against decay about as well as sodium fluoride.

A fluoride that also fights gum inflammation, sensitivity and acid erosion, thanks to the tin. Can stain teeth brown in some people.

Chalk used as a toothpaste abrasive, usually paired with sodium monofluorophosphate. Cleans well; claims that it 'remineralises' teeth are mostly theory.

The standard toothpaste abrasive and thickener. It scrubs off plaque and surface stain; how harsh a paste is depends on the grade, which labels rarely show.

Baking soda: a very low-abrasion toothpaste cleaner that lifts stain and slightly reduces plaque and gum bleeding. In deodorants it neutralises odour but often irritates.

The only ingredient that actually bleaches teeth lighter. Works in strips and trays; in toothpaste and rinses contact time is too short to do much.

The classic 'sensitive teeth' ingredient. It calms the tooth nerve over a few weeks of twice-daily use; the benefit is real but moderate.

An antiseptic in many alcohol-free mouthwashes. Adds a small extra reduction in plaque and gum inflammation to brushing; can stain teeth.

Sold as a natural antimicrobial, but lab tests found the antimicrobial power of commercial extracts came from synthetic preservatives mixed in, not the grapefruit.

An antifungal that replaced zinc pyrithione in many European dandruff shampoos. Matched it in a manufacturer-run trial; not an approved US dandruff drug.

An antimicrobial essential oil. 5% gels helped mild acne and a 5% shampoo helped dandruff in trials, but it's a common allergen, especially once oxidized.

The fixed essential-oil blend in classic antiseptic mouthwash. Well-tested as an add-on to brushing for plaque and gingivitis; poisonous if a child drinks it.

Zinc in toothpaste slows tartar build-up and plaque bacteria and binds bad-breath compounds. Modest benefits; doesn't interfere with fluoride.

The long-standing anti-dandruff drug in US shampoos. Works well against the yeast behind dandruff, but has been banned in EU cosmetics since 2022.

A hydroquinone-glucose compound that slows pigment production. Gentler than hydroquinone and allowed in cosmetics, with modest, small-study evidence.

A prescription treatment for acne, rosacea and dark marks at 15-20%. Cosmetic serums use about 10% or less, where it is much less studied.

The patented 'bond-building' active in popular repair treatments. Hair does look and feel better; the claim that it rejoins broken bonds inside hair is unproven.

Stimulates hair follicles in a dish and reaches them from a shampoo, but proof that caffeine products slow hair loss in people is thin. Eye-cream claims are weaker still.

Liquids left after yeast or bacteria ferment, sold as essences and 'probiotic' skincare. Hydrating; beyond that, evidence is small and mostly manufacturer-run.

A soft white clay that soaks up surface oil in masks and adds body to toothpaste. It works physically; it doesn't draw out toxins or shrink pores.

A skin-identical lipid from the ceramide family, antimicrobial and calming in lab tests. Usually a supporting ingredient in barrier creams.

A resin bees collect from plants, used for blemishes and 'glow'. Antimicrobial in the lab, little tested on skin, and a well-documented contact allergen.

A bee secretion marketed for hair growth and nourishment. There is no human evidence, and the one direct mouse study found it made hair thinner.

A plant-based sweetener used in some 'natural' toothpastes. It makes the paste palatable without feeding decay bacteria; it has no oral-health effect of its own.

A bleeding drug repurposed for melasma and dark spots. Topical 2-5% shows promise in small trials; the oral prescription form is better studied.

Zinc bound to a natural moisturizing molecule, sold for oily and blemish-prone skin. Topical zinc's acne evidence is modest and mostly in combinations.