Body Cream, Cocoa Butter

These describe what an ingredient is, not whether it is a problem. The stance marks above are the ratings; these are not.

• common irritantMETHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE, METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE

  • METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE: A preservative restricted to rinse-off products in the EU because of contact-allergy reports. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex V entry 39 (rinse-off only, 0,0015% of a 3:1 mixture with methylisothiazolinone). The reason is in Commission Regulation (EU) No 1003/2014, recital 3, quoted rather than summarised: "The SCCS concluded that the mixture of Methylchloroisothiazolinone (and) Methylisothiazolinone in a ratio of 3:1 does not pose a risk to the health of the consumer when used as a preservative up to a maximum authorised concentration of 0,0015 % in rinse-off cosmetic products, apart from its skin sensitising potential. The SCCS indicated that induction and elicitation would be less likely in a rinse-off product than when the same concentration is present in a leave-on product." SCCS/1238/09 concludes it "is well recognised as an important skin sensitiser at current conditions of use".
  • METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE: A preservative that patch-test clinics see reactions to often enough that the EU banned it from leave-on products. American Contact Dermatitis Society, Allergen of the Year 2013 (Castanedo-Tardana MP, Zug KA, Dermatitis 2013;24(1):2-6); SCCS Opinion on Methylisothiazolinone (P94), Submission II, SENSITISATION ONLY (SCCS/1521/13, revision of 27 March 2014); banned in leave-on cosmetics by Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/1198, which recites the need to address "the increased incidence of allergies induced by methylisothiazolinone".

• fragrance materialBENZYL ALCOHOL

  • BENZYL ALCOHOL: Used both as a fragrance component and as a preservative; the EU names it either way. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 45: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk. That entry carries transition footnote (38), which is footnote (37) plus a condition: stock that does not comply may still be made available until 31 July 2028 only "provided that they comply with the restrictions applicable on 15 August 2023", and only if it was lawfully placed on the Union market before the 31 July 2026 cut-off. Entry 45 covers its non-preservative use; it is separately an allowed preservative at Annex V entry 34.

• undeclared fragrance blendFRAGRANCE

  • FRAGRANCE: A blend the label does not itemize, so what is in it cannot be read from the ingredient list. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 permits the collective term "parfum"; the SCCS Opinion on Fragrance Allergens (SCCS/1459/11) reviews the contact-allergy evidence for the substances it can contain.

• rich occlusiveMINERAL OIL, PETROLATUM, DIMETHICONE, THEOBROMA CACAO SEED BUTTER

  • MINERAL OIL: A refined oil that sits on the surface of the skin; it has a heavy finish. FDA OTC skin protectant monograph, 21 CFR 347.10(l): "Mineral oil, 50 to 100 percent; 30 to 35 percent in combination with colloidal oatmeal in accordance with 347.20(a)(4)."
  • PETROLATUM: A barrier that sits on the surface of the skin, which is also why it feels heavy. FDA OTC skin protectant monograph, 21 CFR 347.10(m) and (r), lists petrolatum and white petrolatum as skin protectants at 30 to 100%.
  • DIMETHICONE: A silicone that forms a film on the surface of the skin without an oily feel. FDA OTC skin protectant monograph, 21 CFR 347.10(g), lists dimethicone as a skin protectant at 1 to 30%.
  • THEOBROMA CACAO SEED BUTTER: A rich butter the FDA recognises by name as a skin protectant. FDA OTC skin protectant monograph, 21 CFR 347.10(d): "Cocoa butter, 50 to 100 percent."

• humectantGLYCERIN

  • GLYCERIN: A humectant, and one of the two ingredients a comparison of moisturiser components found made a significant difference to skin hydration. FDA OTC skin protectant monograph, 21 CFR 347.10(h), lists glycerin as a skin protectant at 20 to 45%. On the humectant half: Jeong CB, Han JY, Cho JC, Suh KD, Nam GW, "Analysis of electrical property changes of skin by oil-in-water emulsion components", Int J Cosmet Sci 2013;35(4):402-410, DOI 10.1111/ics.12059, PMID 23621673, found that "glycerine and urea showed significant skin hydration effects compared with other humectants".