Tingly Mint & Tea Tree

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

• common irritantCocamidopropyl Betaine, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil

  • Cocamidopropyl Betaine: A mild cleansing agent, but a recurring patch-test finding, usually traced to leftovers from how it is made. American Contact Dermatitis Society, Allergen of the Year 2004 (Fowler JF Jr, Dermatitis 2004;15(1):3-4).
  • Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil: An essential oil whose oxidation products carry its sensitising potential; the EU assesses it as a moderate skin sensitiser. SCCS Scientific Opinion on Tea Tree Oil (CAS/EC 68647-73-4 / 285-377-1), SCCS/1681/25, adopted 30 October 2025, which concludes it is a moderate skin sensitiser. It does not set maximum levels of its own: it assesses the concentrations the applicant defended, and finds no concern at 2,0% in shampoo, 1,0% in shower gel, 1,0% in face wash and 0,1% in face cream, for oil conforming to ISO 4730:2017, in adults, in non-sprayable formats. It draws on the earlier SCCP opinions SCCP/1155/08 and SCCP/0843/04 and incorporates their data by reference; it says nothing about their status.

• fragrance materialLimonene

  • Limonene: A citrus-smelling fragrance component named separately on the label; the one name covers three related isomers. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 88: 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 (37): stock that does not comply, lawfully placed on the Union market before the 31 July 2026 cut-off, may still be made available until 31 July 2028. It is marked on the racemic dl-limonene/Dipentene line and the (S)-(l-limonene) line, but NOT the (R)-p-mentha-1,8-diene (d-limonene) line, CAS 5989-27-5, whose duty was already running as entry 88 before Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 and so needed no transition. All three isomers are declared under the single glossary name "Limonene", so that name on a label does not identify which of them is present.

• exfoliating acidLactic Acid

  • Lactic Acid: An alpha hydroxy acid that loosens surface skin cells; it also makes skin more sun-sensitive while you use it. FDA, "Guidance for Industry: Labeling for Topically Applied Cosmetic Products Containing Alpha Hydroxy Acids as Ingredients" (announced at 70 FR 1721, 10 January 2005; FDA web pages title it "Labeling for Cosmetics Containing Alpha Hydroxy Acids"), which names this acid and recommends the statement "Sunburn Alert: This product contains an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun and particularly the possibility of sunburn."