🧴 What’s Included in Your Skincare Ingredients?

Serum Maker
Mar 18
3 min read

Updated: Apr 16

Why Brands Use Ingredients Like BHT, Phenoxyethanol, and “Fragrance”

When you pick up a lotion, eye cream, or hair product, the front label tells a pretty story: hydration, repair, glow.

Shopper looks at skincare ingredients on label

But the real story is on the back.

And once you start noticing certain ingredients appearing across every category, a better question emerges:

Why are these in everything?

Let’s break down the most common ones - and what they actually do.

🧪 Why These Ingredients Exist in the First Place

Before labeling anything “bad,” it’s important to understand this:

Most of these ingredients are not there for your skin.

They’re there for the product.

They help with:

Shelf life
Stability
Preventing bacteria and mold
Maintaining texture and scent

From a manufacturing standpoint, they make perfect sense.

From a skin-first standpoint? That’s where things get more nuanced.

⚠️ 1. BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)

What it does:

BHT is an antioxidant used to prevent oils from going rancid and extend shelf life.

Why brands use it:

Keeps formulas stable for long periods
Very inexpensive
Effective at low concentrations

What raises concern:

It’s a synthetic antioxidant with ongoing debate around long-term exposure
Some research has linked it to potential irritation and systemic effects at higher levels
It exists purely to protect the product—not improve your skin

👉 Translation:It helps the brand more than it helps you.

⚠️ 2. Sulfates (e.g., Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate)

What they do: Sulfates are cleansing agents (surfactants) that create lather and remove oil, dirt, and buildup from the hair and scalp.

Why brands use them:

· Create that rich, foamy lather people associate with “clean”

· Very effective at removing oil and buildup

· Extremely inexpensive and easy to formulate with

What raises concern:

· Can be overly stripping, removing not just dirt - but your hair’s natural oils

· May lead to dryness, frizz, and scalp irritation

· Especially harsh for color-treated or damaged hair

👉 Translation: Sulfates are great at cleaning, but they don’t know when to stop. They remove what you want gone…and what your hair actually needs to stay healthy.

⚠️ 3. DMDM Hydantoin

What it does:

A preservative that slowly releases formaldehyde to prevent microbial growth.

Why brands use it:

Highly effective antimicrobial
Extends shelf life significantly
Low cost

What raises concern:

Formaldehyde release (even in small amounts)
Can trigger skin sensitivity or allergic reactions in some individuals
Increasingly avoided in modern formulations

👉 Translation: This is one of the few ingredients where consumers are starting to ask more questions - and brands are slowly responding.

⚠️ 4. “Fragrance” (Parfum)

What it does:

Adds scent to a product.

Why brands use it:

Creates a “luxury” experience
Masks unpleasant raw ingredient smells
Strengthens brand identity

Ingredient labels shouldn't include "fragrance"

What raises concern:

“Fragrance” is a catch-all term—it can represent dozens (or hundreds) of undisclosed compounds
One of the most common causes of skin irritation
Often unnecessary - especially in products like eye cream

👉 Translation: This is where perception and formulation diverge the most:Consumers associate scent with quality…But “Fragrance” doesn’t always mean “scent”

💡 Where This Connects to the “1% Rule”

Here’s where things get interesting. While these support ingredients are reliably included, the active ingredients - the ones that actually improve your skin - are often used in very small amounts.

So you end up with products that are: