Hydro Glaze Shaving Gel, Cooling Aloe (2020 formulation)

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

• commonly dryingHamamelis Virginiana Extract

  • Hamamelis Virginiana Extract: A tannin-rich astringent; the distillate sold under this name usually carries added alcohol, which is where the dry finish comes from. United States Pharmacopeia monograph "Witch Hazel", USP-NF version 02_01, DOI 10.31003/USPNF_M89070_02_01. The public DOI landing page carries a 2018 copyright and shows the definition, "Witch Hazel is a clear, colorless distillate prepared from recently cut and partially dried dormant twigs of Hamamelis virginiana L."; the specification, a distillate to which "150 mL of alcohol" is added per 850 mL at 14,0% to 15,0% ethanol, sits behind the USP subscription paywall. The monograph governs the pharmacopoeial article, not every product that prints this INCI name.

• common irritantDmDm Hydantoin

  • DmDm Hydantoin: A preservative the FDA lists as a formaldehyde releaser, which is why formaldehyde-reactive skin can notice it. How much reaches the skin depends on the whole formula, not on this name alone. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex V entry 33, permits DMDM hydantoin as a preservative up to 0,6%. The FDA names it among the "formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing ingredients" on its Allergens in Cosmetics page (content current 25 February 2022). SCCS Scientific Advice SCCS/1632/21, on the threshold for the "contains formaldehyde" warning, describes a study in which a moisturiser spiked to the 0,6% Annex V maximum released at least 40 ppm formaldehyde. Annex V preamble point 2, as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1181, requires the warning "releases formaldehyde" on any product whose total released formaldehyde exceeds 0,001% (10 ppm). That Regulation states the sensitisation ground itself, so the chain is drawn by the regulator and not by us: recital (2) names the class, "Certain of those preservatives are gradually releasing formaldehyde in order to fulfil a preserving function in the final cosmetic product (so called formaldehyde releasers)", and recital (3) gives the purpose of the warning, "In order to inform consumers sensitised to formaldehyde about the presence of formaldehyde that may trigger an allergic reaction". Recital (1) records that formaldehyde is classified a skin sensitizer (Category 1) in Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) 1272/2008.

• fragrance materialMenthol

  • Menthol: The cooling component of mint oils, named by the EU as a fragrance substance to be declared on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 338, inserted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545: 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. It is declarable in its OWN right, not by way of any component it carries. The name to look for on a label is "Menthol". The duty applies now. Transition footnote (40) lets stock that does not comply, lawfully placed on the Union market before the 31 July 2026 cut-off, be made available until 31 July 2028.

• 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".