Name: Essential Drip Lip Oil
Brand: r.e.m. beauty

What's inside

Ingredients Explained

Cocoglycerides

Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning

Cocoglycerides is made from the mono, di and triglycerides of coconut oil. It is an emollient and emulsifer.

Emollients are a type of moisturizer. They create a thin film on top of the skin. This film prevents moisture from escaping, keeping the skin hydrated.

Emulsifiers prevent ingredients from separating. Examples of this include oils and water, which naturally do not mix. Emulsifiers helps elongate the shelf life of a product. They also help the product stay consistent in texture.

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Ethylcellulose

We don't have a description for Ethylcellulose yet.

Menthol

Masking, Refreshing

Menthol is a compound found in mint plants, such as peppermint. In its pure form, it is a clear crystalline substance.

Menthol is known for its cooling sensation; however, the cooling is actually from your skin being sensitized. Menthol can worsen rosacea. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Menthol also has antimicrobial properties.

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Propyl Gallate

Antioxidant, Perfuming

Propyl Gallate is a synthetic antioxidant. It works by protecting the oils, fats, and fragrance compounds in a formula from going rancid through oxidation, helping the product stay stable and effective for longer.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel recommends keeping Propyl Gallate at or below 0.1% due to potential sensitization at higher levels, and most formulas stay within that limit.

We flag Propyl Gallate as both a general irritant and a lip irritant because direct skin contact can trigger redness or allergic contact dermatitis. The more sensitive skin on and around the lips is prone to reacting.

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Dicalcium Phosphate

Abrasive

This ingredient is a mineral salt of calcium and phosphate. It is mainly used as a mild abrasive and sometimes used to add opacity to a formula.

Aroma

Aroma refers to an ingredient, or mixture of ingredients, that impart or mask a flavor.

The name is slightly confusing. This is because INCI associates aroma with flavor instead of smell.

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%.

Learn more about Aroma

CI 42090

Cosmetic Colorant

Ci 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.

CI 19140

Cosmetic Colorant

CI 19140 is also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.

Tartrazine is created from petroleum and is water-soluble.

Some people may experience allergies from this dye, especially asthmatics and those with an aspirin intolerance.

Learn more about CI 19140

Limonene

Perfuming, Solvent

Limonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.

In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.

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.

Learn more about Limonene

Linalool

Perfuming

Linalool is a small, naturally occurring scent molecule found in plants like lavender, coriander, bergamot, and more.

It is one of the two most-used fragrance ingredients in cosmetics and added purely for smell. Since it's not used for a skin benefit, there's no "effective dose". Concentration depends on the fragrance load of the product.

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.

Learn more about Linalool

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