Work That Curl Cream

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

• commonly dryingIsopropyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat

  • Isopropyl Alcohol: A fast-evaporating solvent with a drying finish, common in toners and hand products. International Chemical Safety Card ICSC 0554, Isopropyl alcohol, prepared by an international group of experts for the ILO and WHO: "Repeated or prolonged contact with skin may cause dryness and cracking." It describes a stronger exposure than a cosmetic formula.
  • Alcohol Denat: Denatured ethanol: a fast-evaporating solvent that thins a formula and leaves a dry finish. International Chemical Safety Card ICSC 0044, Ethanol (anhydrous), prepared by an international group of experts for the ILO and WHO: "The substance defats the skin, which may cause dryness or cracking." WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care (2009) records depletion of the skin lipid barrier by lipid-dissolving alcohols, and also that "the lipid-dissolving effect of alcohols is inversely related to their concentration". Both describe stronger exposures than a cosmetic formula.

• fragrance materialBenzyl Alcohol, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool

  • 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.
  • Coumarin: A sweet hay-scented fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 77: 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.
  • Hexyl Cinnamal: A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 87: 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.
  • Linalool: A floral fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 84: 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.

• undeclared fragrance blendParfum

  • Parfum: 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.

• 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."

• 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".