Last week, I asked how many of you paid attention to the ingredients list on your beauty products–what was the majority answer? No, not at all; it is not a concern for you. As a beauty junkie, I have (and probably will not any time soon) not become an ingredient wizkid, simply because all of those scientific names never stick in my brain. However, I do think that is it vital to understand the importance of ingredients, especially for those with skin problems. I like to keep certain no-no ingredients in mind when I find a product that works really well, in addition to when I find a product seems to compound existing skin issues.

This guide is by no means a be-all, end-all of cosmetic ingredients, nor is it a full resource on what each ingredient does. I strongly advise you to check my sources, as well as head over to Savvy Skin, run by reader Jeni, because she is a skin care fanatic.

Bad ingredients are pretty much classified as either comedogenic or irritating. Comedogenic means it causes acne (hence why products are touted as non-comedogenic). Based on researching ingredients and the following sites, these ingredients are often found to irritate skin and/or cause acne. When ingredients are tested for their comedogenic or irritating level, they are ranked on a scale of 0-5. 0 means that the ingredent is non-comedogenic and non-irritating, while an ingredient that receives is a 5 is the worst in terms of comedogenic/irritating levels.

It is important to note that people with less sensitive skin may use highly comedogenic or irritating ingredients without any adverse effects. These ingredient lists tend to be more helpful for those that struggle with skin imperfections or troubles, and elimination or reduction of certain known harsh ingredients may inevitably pave the road towards healthier skin. As with all ingredient lists, they are listed in order of amounts–e.g., the first listed ingredient is highest percentage-wise (like water-aqua in 25%) with the last listed ingredient having the least amount percentage-wise (like 0.05%). So if you find a product that you love, and you see it has a potentially irritating ingredient towards the end, it is less likely to be the actual cause of your skin problems. If you use many products that use a particular poor ingredient, even if small amounts on a per product basis, it may add up to a larger dosage overall, though. Keep an eye out!

See a compiled ingredients-to-watch-for list…

Highly Comedogenic (ranked 4 or 5)

Acetylated Lanolin

Algae Extract

Algin

Butyl Stearate

Carrageenan

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Acetate

Cetyl Alcohol

Cocoa butter

Coconut Butter

Coconut Oil

Colloidal Sulfur

Cotton Awws Oil

D & C Red #17, 21, 3, 30, 36

Decyl Oleate

Dioctyl Succinate

Disodium Monooleamido PEG 2-Sulfosuccinate

Ethoxylated Lanolin

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Glyceryl-3-Diisosterate

Hexadecyl Alcohol

Isocetyl Alcohol

Isocetyl Stearate

Isodecyl Oleate

Isopropyl Isostearate/Linolate/Myristate/Palmitate (Isopropyl alcohol is OK)

Isostearyl Isosterate/Neopentanoate

Laureth #23, 4

Lauric Acid

Myristyl Lactate/Myristate

Octyl Palmitate

Octyl Stearate

Oleth-3

Oleyl Alcohol

PEG 16 Lanolin

Polyglyceryl-3-Diisosterate

Potassium Chloride

Propylene Glycol Monostearate

Red Algae

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Lauryl Suflate

Solulan 16

Steareth 10

Stearyl Heptanoate

Syearyl Heptanoate

Wheat Germ Oil

Xylene

Moderately Comedogenic

Almond Oil

Apricot Kernel Oil

Arachidic Acid

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Avocado Oil

Azulene

BHA

Benzaldehyde

Benzoic Acid

Cajeput Oil

D & C Red #19, 27, 40

Glyceral Stearate SE

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Mink Oil

Myristic Acid

Olive Oil

PEG 150 Distearate

PEG 200 Dilaurate

PEG 8 Stearate

Sandelwood Seed Oil

Sesame Oil

Shark Liver Oil

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sorbitan Oleate

Soybean Oil

Stearic Acid Tea

Sulfated Castor Oil

Sulfated Jojoba Oil

Wheat Germ Glyceride

Highly Irritating

Acetone

Algae Extract

Algin

Cajeput Oil

Colloidal Sulfur

Isocetyl Alcohol

Isopropyl Alcohol

Laureth 4

Octyl Stearate

SD ALcohol 40

Moderately Irritating

BHA

Benzaldehyde

Benzoic Acid

Camphor

Flowers of Sulfur

Isopropyl Myristate

Capric Acid

Caprylic Acid

PEG 16 Lanolin

Solulan 16

Steareth 10

Tridectyl Neopentanoate

Xylene

Sources

Inspired by SavvySkin