Freshly Cosmetics Azelaic Radiance Face Treatment

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin. 

It’s often used to:

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Oryza Sativa Starch is an absorbent and used to mattify the skin. It is a natural carbohydrate and the main component of rice. A more common name for this ingredient is 'rice starch'.

Rice starch is created by steeping broken grains in a caustic soda.

Guar gum is made from the guar bean, a plant native to India. It is considered a form of polysaccharide and naturally contains sugar.

This ingredient is often used to thicken a product or create a gel-like consistency.

We don't have a description for Cleome Gynandra Leaf Extract yet.

We don't have a description for Crocus Sativus Flower Extract yet.

Diglycerin is a humectant. It is derived from glycerin, which is naturally found in your skin.

As a humectant, it helps draw moisture to the skin from the air.

Troxerutin can help to reduce redness.

Honokiol is an antioxidant. It can help to reduce redness.

Magnolol is an antioxidant. It can help to reduce redness.

Pinus Pinaster Bark/Bud Extract is an antioxidant.

Tapioca starch is a thickening agent and is made from the cassava root, also known as yucca.

According to a manufacturer, it is an excellent talc replacement.

Algin is brown algae. Algae is an informal term for a group of aquatic organisms that can photosynthesize. It is estimated there are at least 30,000 types of Algae.

Algae contains antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.

It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser.

Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate isn't fungal acne safe.

Sodium levulinate is the a sodium salt of Levulinic Acid. Oncedissolved in an aqueous solution, the two ingredients become identical. It is usually derived from renewable plant sources like corn starch or sugarcane.

In skincare, it mostly acts as a skin conditioning agent that keeps skin soft and hydrated. It also acts as a preservative booster by inhibiting the growth of mold, yeast, and bacteria.

Levulinic Acid is a fragrance that comes from the degradation of cellulose. It is a saturated fatty acid.

This ingredient is often used a building block for other compounds, such as in pharmaceuticals.

Sorbitan Palmitate is an emulsifier.

It is created by reacting sorbitol with palmitic acid.

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate is a postbiotic with skin soothing properties. Postbiotics are inactive molecules produced by probiotic bacteria that provide skin benefits.

This ingredient comes from the secretion of the bacteria, Lactobacillus.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.

Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.

p-anisic acid is an aromatic compound that is naturally found in some plants. It is mainly used as a fragrance ingredient but also has preservative and antimicrobial properties.

The effectiveness of this ingredient as a preservative and antimicrobial depends on the pH (with more acidic being better). This is the reason you'll see this ingredient bundled with other preservatives.