Ingredient Guides4 min read
Panthenol (Provitamin B5): Filing a Conditioning Humectant
D-panthenol and DL-panthenol behave differently on skin and hair. Here is how to identify each correctly on your ingredient filing.
February 1, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides
Plain guides to specific ingredients, their INCI, CAS, and any limits.
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Allantoin: A Soothing Skin Protectant and Its Use Limit
Allantoin is a workhorse soothing ingredient with clean INCI and CAS identification. Here is how it functions and typical use levels.
January 31, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate: A Stable Vitamin C Derivative
Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate solves ascorbic acid's stability problem. Here is its INCI, CAS, and how it differs from plain vitamin C on a label.
January 31, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Urea: Humectant at Low Levels, Keratolytic at High Levels
How urea's function, labeling, and claim exposure change as its concentration rises from a mild humectant to a keratolytic active.
January 30, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Potassium Sorbate: Why This Preservative Needs a Low pH
Potassium sorbate (CAS 24634-61-5) only works below a certain pH. Here's the chemistry, the pairing options, and where it falls short alone.
January 29, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides3 min read
Zinc Oxide in Cosmetics: INCI, CAS, and When It Becomes a Drug
Zinc oxide (CAS 1314-13-2) works fine as a cosmetic pigment, until your claim language turns it into an OTC drug ingredient.
January 28, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Glyceryl Stearate: A Workhorse Nonionic Emulsifier
A practical profile of glyceryl stearate and its SE grade, covering INCI naming, CAS numbers, and how each behaves in an oil-in-water emulsion.
January 27, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Sodium Hydroxide (Lye): How to List It on Soap Notifications
Why finished cold process soap lists saponified oils instead of lye, plus the INCI name, CAS number, and handling notes makers ask about most.
January 27, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Glycolic Acid: AHA Concentration and pH Limits to Watch
Glycolic acid's INCI name and CAS number, and how AHA concentration paired with pH determines its cosmetic notification status.
January 25, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate: The Heart of Syndet Bars
What sodium cocoyl isethionate actually is, why syndet bar makers reach for it, and what to check before filing one as a cosmetic.
January 24, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Butylene Glycol vs Propylene Glycol: Picking a Humectant Solvent
How butylene glycol and propylene glycol differ on feel and solubilizing power, with the INCI and CAS details a filing actually needs.
January 18, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Sodium PCA: A Natural Moisturizing Factor Humectant
Sodium PCA is a component of skin's own natural moisturizing factor and a common humectant. Here is its INCI, CAS, and typical use levels.
January 17, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Cyclopentasiloxane (D5): Filing a Volatile Silicone
Cyclopentasiloxane, or D5, is a volatile silicone with its own D4 contamination concerns. Here is what to check before you notify a product containing it.
January 16, 2026Read
Ingredient Guides4 min read
Sodium Hyaluronate vs Hyaluronic Acid: The Right INCI to List
Which INCI name your hyaluronic acid ingredient actually is, with CAS numbers and how molecular weight affects labeling.
January 15, 2026Read