Ingredients with a documented concern, from official datasets and our reviewed database.
Sensitive skin: Best avoidedPregnancy: Use with cautionBabies & kids: Best avoidedEczema-prone: Best avoided
- Allergy risk:Fragrance is the single most common cause of cosmetic contact allergy.
- Irritation:Frequent trigger of stinging and redness on reactive skin.
Caredermis curated dermatological review
An umbrella term that can hide dozens of undisclosed scent chemicals. Fragrance is the leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetics, and dermatologists routinely advise fragrance-free products for eczema, babies and sensitive skin.
Oily & acne-prone: High caution
- Pore-clogging:High comedogenicity rating in classic testing.
A close relative of isopropyl myristate with a similar pore-clogging reputation for acne-prone skin.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: High caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable allergen; lemon-scented sensitizer.
The lemon-scent molecule in lemongrass and citrus oils, a recognized contact allergen requiring EU label declaration.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: High caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable allergen; oxidation products are potent sensitizers.
The citrus-peel scent molecule. Like linalool, it becomes allergenic mainly after oxidizing in opened products.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: High caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable allergen; oxidized linalool is a common patch-test positive.
A floral scent molecule found in lavender and many essential oils. It oxidizes on air exposure into strongly sensitizing compounds, which is why it must be declared on EU labels.
Sensitive skin: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
A violet-type scent chemical requiring EU allergen declaration.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
A rose-type scent component on the EU's mandatory-declaration allergen list.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable allergen found in tonka bean and many perfumes.
A sweet hay-scented molecule requiring EU allergen declaration; a regular positive in fragrance patch-test series.
Sensitive skin: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
A common jasmine-scented ingredient in fine fragrance and skincare, declared as an allergen on EU labels.
Oily & acne-prone: Use with caution
- Pore-clogging:Cosmetic grade is minimally comedogenic despite its reputation.
Highly refined mineral oil is an inert, non-sensitizing emollient. Its bad reputation comes from industrial-grade oils that are never permitted in cosmetics.
exfoliant beads · film former
- Environmental impact:Classic microplastic; plastic microbeads banned in many countries; EU microplastics restriction phasing it out.
Caredermis curated dermatological review
The plastic behind the microbead scandal — banned as a rinse-off scrub ingredient across many jurisdictions and being phased out of cosmetics under the EU microplastics restriction.
- Irritation:Occasional irritation on shaved or broken skin.
An enhanced antiperspirant salt with the same reassuring safety review record as other aluminum actives.
Acetyl CedreneRegulatory dataAllergy riskEU CosIng Annex III (declarable / restricted)Juniperus Virginiana OilRegulatory dataAllergy riskEU CosIng Annex III (declarable / restricted)Linalyl AcetateRegulatory dataAllergy riskEU CosIng Annex III (declarable / restricted)PineneRegulatory dataAllergy riskEU CosIng Annex III (declarable / restricted)TerpineolRegulatory dataAllergy riskEU CosIng Annex III (declarable / restricted)Tetramethyl AcetyloctahydronaphthalenesRegulatory dataAllergy riskEU CosIng Annex III (declarable / restricted)
