Intelligent Nutrients Restorative Moisturizing Emulsion

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.

Vitamin E is also prevalent in this ingredient and the most dominant form is gamma-tocopherol.

These compounds give the ingredient emollient and skin conditioning properties that keep the skin soft and hydrated.

There's no regulatory maximum cap for this ingredient so you'll see it across a huge concentration range (100% as a single ingredient facial oil).

On allergies: refined cosmetic-grade oils carry almost no protein. The CIR notes that people allergic to a food generally do not react to the refined oil because the allergenic protein does not partition into it (though cold-pressed grades retain more).

However, it's worth patch testing if you have a stone fruit or tree nut allergy because manufacturer processes for removing the protein can vary.

Malassezia lacks the cytosolic fatty acid synthase gene so the yeast cannot make palmitate on its own and instead uses lipases and phospholipases to release fatty acids from host lipids. Since apricot kernel oil is entirely C16-18 (right in the usable range of C11-24), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Old rabbit-ear testing did assign this ingredient a comedogenic rating of 1-2. The original author has stated that testing on rabbit ears is not an ideal model for human comedogenicity.

Human testing has proved that any finished product with a comedogenic ingredient won't automatically make you break out; it really comes down to concentration, formula, and your skin.

Just know high-oleic oils tend to feel heavier on oily skin so it's worth patch testing.

Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Antioxidants help stabilize free-radicals by donating extra electrons. Grape seed extract may help reduce the signs of aging.

The antimicrobial properties of grape seed may help treat acne. However, more research is needed to support this claim.

Grape seed has also been found to help absorb UV rays. Grape seed extract should not replace your sunscreen.

The fatty acids of grape seed oil give it emollient properties. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin by creating a film. This film traps moisture within, keeping your skin hydrated.

Furanocoumarins bind and destabilize your DNA to increase the rate of sunburn.

Most reputable companies will remove furanocoumarins from their formulations.

A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.

Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.

It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.

Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.

Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.

Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".

Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).

The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.

Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).

Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).

Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.

The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Studies show thymoquinone helps reduce oxidative stress and dampens the inflammatory pathways. Combining this with the oils makes this ingredient great for barrier repair and moisturization.

Other studies have found this ingredient to have antimicrobial activity against several acne-causing bacteria.

Linoleic acid helps moisturize your skin as an emollient. Emollients act as a thin film to prevent moisture from escaping.

Cartenoids are an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect your skin against external damage. They also give pumpkins their classic orange color.

Fun fact: Pumpkins were first domesticated in Southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago.

As an emollient, raspberry seed oil helps hydrate your skin. Emollients prevent moisture from evaporating by creating a film on top.

In cosmetics, it functions as an emollient with real staying power for hydration and barrier support.

Studies show it reduces oxidative stress in cells, lowers inflammatory markers, and has wound-healing potential that outperformed standard treatments in animal models.

It's also been shown to have antimicrobial properties against problematic bacteria while promoting beneficial skin flora.

Allergic reactions are rare but patch testing is a good idea if you have sensitive skin or fruit allergies.

Typical use concentrations are usually 2-20%.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Sucrose is hydrophilic, meaning it attracts water. This makes it an effective humectant and helps hydrate the skin.

Studies show sugars may worsen acne-prone skin due to it disrupting the skin's natural biome. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.

In some products such as body scrubs, sucrose is used as an gentle exfoliant.

The term 'sucrose' comes from the french word for sugar, 'sucre'.

It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.

Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.

Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.

In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.

Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty solid; it's even recognized as a food additive. Both animal and clinical studies found no adverse effects at the levels used in cosmetics.

Industry data shows this ingredient is used up to 45.7% in spray products and up to 33% in powder products.

This plant is native to the Amazon rainforest.

When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.

A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.

Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.

More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.

Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

When used topically, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is a photosensitizer due to the furanocoumarin content. Furanocoumarins absorb UV-A and cause phytophotodermatitis; this can look like redness, blistering, and lasting brown pigmentation on sun-exposed skin.

Due to this, this ingredient is capped at 0.4% in leave-on products applied to sun exposed skin.

Many modern formulas used a "furanocoumarin-free" version that sidesteps the phototoxicity issue, but still contains the fragrance allergens.

The scent of Rose Geranium closely resembles traditional roses.

Chamomile oil can help soothe and hydrate your skin.

In cosmetics, its job is mostly sensory: it has a sweet, floral scent often used in perfume.

Chemically, it's complex mix of fragrant molecules: geraniol, limonene, linalool and benzyl benzoate.

Several of these components are on the EU's list of recognized fragrance allergens; this means they have to be labeled when present above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.

This ingredient is a known contact sensitizer for a small amount of people so it's definitely worth patch-testing if your skin is reactive.

Lab studies have found the oils does have real antioxidant and antibacterial activity, but keep in mind these are in-vitro findings rather than proven skincare benefits.

This ingredient is not known to sensitize or irritate skin (unlike Vanilla Tahitensis). Vanilla tahitensis has shown to irritate skin in low amounts.

Here is the official definition from the The International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook:

“Aroma is a term for ingredient labeling used to identify that a product contains a material or combination of materials normally added to a cosmetic to produce or to mask a particular flavor.”

INCI shows the only purpose of aroma to be "flavouring".

However, due to regulation differences, some companies may use aroma in place of parfum.

In Canada, this ingredient only has to be listed in concentrations above 1%.

Lemongrass oil is being researched for its antibacterial properties.

This is the volatile oil created from the steam distillation of fresh Lemon Grass, Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.), Poaceae. Lemongrass is native to South Asia and Northern Africa. It is commonly used to make tea.

You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.

Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.

Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:

It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.

Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.

The EU requires it to be named on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.

Fresh linalool is a weak sensitizer but air exposure turns some of it into hydroperoxides, which are strong sensitizers. Those oxidation products are the actual allergy concern.

Patch-test clinics see positive reactions to linalool hydroperoxides in about 4% to 12% of dermatitis patients depending on country and test concentration.

Resassuringly, one analytical study found hydroperoxide levels in real fragranced products to be orders of magnitude below what induced sensitization in animal studies with no evidence of oxidation building up during normal storage.

The practical takeaway is that linalool is fine for most people but worth avoiding if you have a confirmed fragrance contact allergy or a badly compromised barrier.

Products stored a long time after opening are also the high-risk scenario since that is when oxidation happens.

The scent of linalool is described as floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.

Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.

Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.

Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.

Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.

2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-

Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.

Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,

Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.

This ingredient is hydrophobic, meaning it is not soluble in water.

Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.

Due to its fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate can be sensitizing and may cause contact dermatitis. It is a known EU allergen. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.

Benzyl Benzoate can be naturally found in cranberries and peaches.

While Benzyl Salicylate has been associated with contact dermatitis and allergies, emerging studies show it may not be caused by this ingredient alone.

However, this ingredient is often used with fragrances and other components that may cause allergies. It is still listed as a known allergen in the EU. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Another study from 2021 shows Benzyl Salicylate may have anti-inflammatory properties.

There's some lab work behind its reputation; in one study, it acted as an antioxidant and calmed inflammation in human immune cells. But it also killed skin cells (keratinocytes) in a dish.

It stopped damaging those cells and still reduced swelling in mice when the researchers wrapped it in tiny capsules to slow its release.

One study that is quoted out of context frequently: clove oil killed human skin and blood vessel cells at levels as low as 0.03%, and about 73% of that came down to eugenol. Keep in mind those were bare cells sitting in a dish with no skin barrier in the way (which is a lot harsher than what happens on your actual face).

On concentrations, it is restricted to 0.64% in leave-on products + body products, 0.21% in baby + lip products, 2.5% in fine fragrance and 4.9% in rinse-off. Real formulas usually land far below those caps.

Allergy is the actual story with this ingredient. It is one of the eight markers dermatologists use for allergy testing, and the EU requires it to be named on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.

It is also a prohapten, meaning it needs enzymatic activation in skin to become allergenic, so sensitivity varies between people.

Rates are modest but not trivial: in a classic EECDRG multicentre study, 13 of about 1,300 patch-tested patients reacted to eugenol, and in eugenol-allergic subjects the lowest positive patch test concentration was 0.031%, with 56% reacting in a 21-day repeated open application test at 0.5% to 2.7%.

Normal use levels are generally fine if you are not already sensitized.

Because it's one of the most well documented fragrance sensitizers, it's one of the substances that must be individually declared on EU ingredient lists once it exceeds 0.001% in leave on products or 0.01% in rinse off products (regardless of whether it's added on its own or shows up as part of a natural extract).

Industry usage limits are also fairly tight and the recommended maximum dropped from 0.2% to 0.02% in most finished cosmetic products.

On the skin side, Isoeugenol is consistently one of the top individual allergens within the standard patch test screen used by dermatologists.

A large multi-year patch test review found the rate of positive reactions to Isoeugenol was actually trending upward over time and controlled use tests found some sensitized people reacted to concentrations well below 0.01%. Roughly two thirds of people in this review also reacted at the industry recommended max of 0.2%.

It's not a "dangerous" ingredient at regulated concentrations, but is is a well-characterized contact allergen.

You should know this ingredient is a known EU fragrance allergen.

Animal studies classifies this ingredient as a weak-to-moderate skin sensitizer and clinical patch testing on eczema patients confirmed it to be both a contact allergen and irritant.

The term 'citral' is a collective term for two geometric isomers: geranial/Citral A and neral/Citral B.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.