Ingredients
Plain-language explanations of what each ingredient is and what it does.
Sorbitol
A plant-derived sugar alcohol used as a humectant to hydrate and soften skin.
Sphingolipids
A class of lipid molecules structurally identical to those naturally found in the skin's outer barrier, often derived fr...
Sphingomonas Ferment Extract
Sphingomonas Ferment Extract is a polysaccharide produced by fermenting the bacterium Sphingomonas, popularized in K-bea...
Squalane
A lightweight, saturated oil-like emollient that closely mirrors lipids naturally found in skin.
Stearalkonium Hectorite
A quaternary-ammonium-modified clay (hectorite) used as a thickening and suspending agent, particularly to keep particul...
Stearic Acid
A common plant- or animal-derived fatty acid used to emulsify, thicken, and soften creams.
Stearyl Alcohol
A fatty alcohol derived from plant or animal fats, used as a rich emollient and co-emulsifier/thickener; unlike short-ch...
Styrax Japonicus Branch/Fruit/Leaf Extract
Styrax Japonicus Branch/Fruit/Leaf Extract is a botanical extract from the Japanese snowbell tree, used in a limited num...
Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
A synthetic acrylic-styrene copolymer resin used in mascaras and other color cosmetics as a film-former that binds pigme...
Sucrose
Sucrose is common table sugar, used in cosmetics both as a humectant and skin-conditioning agent in solution and, in coa...
Sucrose Distearate
A sugar-derived ester of sucrose and stearic acid used as a mild emulsifier and skin-conditioning agent.
Sucrose Palmitate
Sucrose Palmitate is a sugar ester formed from sucrose and palmitic acid, supplied as a mixture of mono-, di-, and tri-e...
Sugarcane Extract
An extract of the sugarcane plant used mainly as a humectant/moisturizing ingredient; it is sometimes marketed for mild...
Swertia Japonica Extract
Swertia Japonica Extract comes from Senburi, a traditional Japanese herb long used in scalp tonics and skin-conditioning...
Synthetic Wax
A highly purified synthetic hydrocarbon wax used to structure sticks, balms and creams.
T-Butyl Alcohol
A volatile short-chain alcohol used in small amounts as a solvent and to denature ethanol.
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid (Ecamsule)
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
A photostable, water-soluble organic UVA filter approved in the EU and Asia and cleared in the US via a drug approval.
Tetraacetylphytosphingosine
A synthetic derivative of phytosphingosine, a skin-identical sphingolipid that supports the skin's natural ceramide netw...
Tetradecene
A C14 linear hydrocarbon (alkene) used as a light emollient and spreading/solvent agent in oil-phase formulas.
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
A synthetic tripeptide, marketed under trade names such as Syn®-Hycan, used in anti-aging formulas for its skin-firming...