Ingredients with a documented concern, from official datasets and our reviewed database.
Sensitive skin: High cautionDry skin: High cautionBabies & kids: Use with cautionEczema-prone: Best avoided
- Irritation:Drying and barrier-disrupting in high-alcohol formulas with regular use.
Denatured ethanol gives products a fast-drying, weightless feel, but as a leading ingredient it degrades the skin barrier with repeated use — a poor match for dry, sensitive or eczema-prone skin.
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.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: High caution
- Allergy risk:American Contact Dermatitis Society Allergen of the Year 2018.
- Irritation:Can irritate compromised skin at higher concentrations.
A workhorse humectant and penetration enhancer that is fine for most, but a recurring culprit in eczema patients' patch tests.
Babies & kids: Use with caution
- Irritation:Occasional stinging and irritation, mostly around eyes and on damaged skin.
Today's most common preservative, considered safe by the SCCS up to 1%. French authorities advise avoiding it in wipes and diaper-area products for children under 3 as a precaution.
- Irritation:Occasional transient stinging or redness on sensitive skin.
A mild food-grade preservative usually paired with sodium benzoate; well tolerated by most skin types.
humectant · soothing agent
Severity 2/10Editorial- Allergy risk:Rare allergy reported, plausibly cross-reacting with dust-mite/shellfish allergens.
The K-beauty hydrator with a devoted following; rare allergic reactions have been linked to cross-reactivity with mite and mollusk allergens.
- Allergy risk:Occasional Asteraceae-family sensitivity.
Marigold extract, a staple of baby balms; well tolerated aside from rare daisy-family allergies.
- Allergy risk:Rare Asteraceae cross-reactions in ragweed-allergic individuals.
A gentle calming botanical; the rare reactions occur mostly in people allergic to ragweed-family plants.
- Irritation:Can cause transient, non-allergic flushing/stinging on reactive skin.
A food-grade preservative generally regarded as one of the gentler options; occasional non-immune stinging is its main drawback.