Ingredients with a documented concern, from official datasets and our reviewed database.
Babies & kids: Best avoided
- Cancer concern:IARC reclassified talc as probably carcinogenic (2A) in 2024; historic asbestos contamination drives concern.
A mineral powder at the center of major litigation and a 2024 IARC upgrade to 'probably carcinogenic'. Regulators specifically warn against powder use on babies (inhalation risk); cornstarch is the standard substitute.
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: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 caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
A jasmine-type scent chemical on the EU mandatory declaration list.
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.
- Allergy risk:Rare hypersensitivity reactions, better documented in food than cosmetics.
Tartrazine yellow dye; approved for cosmetics with rare sensitivity reactions reported.
- Allergy risk:Rare reports of sensitivity.
A widely approved blue dye with a benign cosmetic safety record.