🧴 What’s Really in Your Skincare?

Serum Maker
4 days ago
3 min read

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.

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

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:

Highly stable
Nicely scented
Well-preserved

…but not always meaningfully effective

🧴 A Better Way to Think About Skincare

Instead of asking:

“Is this product clean?”

A better question is:

“What is this product actually designed to do - and at what concentration?”

Because once you understand:

What each ingredient does
Why it’s included
And how much is needed to be effective

You stop relying on marketing - and start recognizing formulation.

Where Serum Maker Comes In

At Serum Maker, the goal isn’t to eliminate every preservative or stabilizer.

It’s to teach you:

Which ingredients actually impact your skin
How to use them at effective levels
And how to build formulas that prioritize performance - not just shelf life

Because when you understand the formula…

👉 You stop guessing.

👉 You stop overpaying

👉 And you start creating products that actually work.

Get Started

Serum Maker