Ingredient glossary

What skincare ingredients actually do — honest, plain-English definitions of humectants, ceramides, snail mucin, PDRN and more, with the caveats most pages skip.

• soothing Allantoin A gentle soothing and conditioning ingredient.
• humectant Betaine A plant-derived humectant and osmolyte.
• texture Carbomer A common gel-forming thickener used to give light, watery textures.
• active Ceramides (e.g. ceramide NP) Lipids that make up much of the skin barrier; topical versions replace what's missing.
• emollient Cetearyl alcohol A non-drying fatty alcohol used to soften and stabilise creams (not an irritating alcohol).
• emollient Cholesterol One of the three core barrier lipids, alongside ceramides and fatty acids.
• emollient Fatty acids The third core barrier lipid, completing the ceramide-cholesterol-fatty acid trio.
• term Fragrance-free Contains no added fragrance or essential oils (unlike "unscented", which can use masking scent).
• term Humectant An ingredient that draws water into the skin (e.g. hyaluronic acid, glycerin, panthenol).
• humectant Hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate) A humectant that binds water and holds it in the upper skin.
• soothing Madecassoside (Centella asiatica / cica) A soothing compound from Centella asiatica, the basis of "cica" products.
• term Malassezia (fungal acne) A skin yeast that, when overgrown, causes itchy, uniform small bumps often mistaken for acne.
• uv-filter Modern organic UV filters (e.g. Ethylhexyl Triazone, Uvinul A Plus) Newer-generation, photostable chemical filters common in Korean and European sunscreens.
• active Niacinamide (vitamin B3) A versatile vitamin-B3 active that supports the barrier and regulates oil.
• term Occlusive An ingredient that forms a surface layer to slow water loss from skin.
• soothing Panthenol (provitamin B5) A humectant and skin-soothing provitamin that converts to vitamin B5.
• active Phytosphingosine A lipid precursor found naturally in the upper skin and part of ceramides.
• extract Rice extract (Oryza sativa) An amino-acid-rich grain extract popular in K-beauty.
• humectant Snail secretion filtrate (snail mucin) A humectant complex from snails containing glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid and allantoin.
• uv-filter Tinosorb M (Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol) A modern broad-spectrum UV filter that both absorbs and scatters light.