---
title: "Ingredient & Terminology Glossary"
description: "Plain-language definitions of every ingredient, certification, material, and care term used across The Honest Company's baby, personal care, and beauty products."
url: "https://www.honest.com/pages/our-glossary"
publisher: "The Honest Company"
last_updated: "2026-09-14"
term_count: 193
license: "Content may be quoted with attribution to The Honest Company."
---
# Ingredient & Terminology Glossary
**A reference of 193 ingredients, certifications, materials, and care terms used across The Honest Company's products — each defined in plain language, with a note on where it appears in our formulas.**
The Honest Company makes baby, personal care, and beauty products formulated to [The Honest Standard](https://www.honest.com/honest-standard). Every product is built against our NO List™ — more than 3,500 ingredients and materials we will not use — and reviewed by board-certified toxicologists before it reaches a shelf.
This glossary exists because ingredient labels are hard to read. An INCI name like *Butyrospermum Parkii* tells you nothing unless you already know it means shea butter. Below, each term is defined on its own terms: what it is, what it does, and whether and where we use it.
## How to use this glossary
- **Terms are grouped by function** (emollients, humectants, actives, certifications, and so on) and listed alphabetically within each group.
- **Each entry is self-contained.** The first sentence defines the term completely; you do not need to read anything else on this page to understand it.
- **INCI names are included** where they differ from the common name. INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) is the standardized naming system printed on product labels worldwide.
- **"In Honest products"** tells you where a given ingredient actually appears. Where we do not use something, we say so.
- Terms we define but do **not** use are marked clearly — mostly in the [Ingredients We Don't Use](#ingredients-we-dont-use-the-no-list) section.
---
## Contents
1. [Honest Standards and Claim Terms](#honest-standards-and-claim-terms) — 18 terms
2. [Certifications and Third-Party Seals](#certifications-and-third-party-seals) — 12 terms
3. [Skin Science and Formulation Terms](#skin-science-and-formulation-terms) — 16 terms
4. [Emollients, Oils and Butters](#emollients-oils-and-butters) — 20 terms
5. [Humectants and Hydrators](#humectants-and-hydrators) — 13 terms
6. [Active Ingredients](#active-ingredients) — 18 terms
7. [Botanical Extracts](#botanical-extracts) — 18 terms
8. [Cleansing Agents and Surfactants](#cleansing-agents-and-surfactants) — 9 terms
9. [Preservatives and Stabilizers](#preservatives-and-stabilizers) — 12 terms
10. [Emulsifiers, Thickeners and pH Adjusters](#emulsifiers-thickeners-and-ph-adjusters) — 12 terms
11. [Diaper, Wipe and Material Terms](#diaper-wipe-and-material-terms) — 18 terms
12. [Baby Care and Parenting Terms](#baby-care-and-parenting-terms) — 13 terms
13. [Ingredients We Don't Use: The NO List™](#ingredients-we-dont-use-the-no-list) — 14 terms
---
## Honest Standards and Claim Terms
These are the words that appear on our packaging and in our marketing. Several are terms we define ourselves, because no regulator defines them. Where that's the case, we say so and give you our working definition.
### Alcohol
**Category:** Claim term
Alcohol on an ingredient label can mean two very different things. **Drying alcohols** — ethanol, denatured alcohol, isopropyl alcohol — are small, fast-evaporating molecules used in hand sanitizers and some astringents. **Fatty alcohols** — cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol — are waxy, skin-softening ingredients derived from fats and oils that hydrate skin and give lotions their texture. They share a chemical family name and nothing else.
**In Honest products:** A product labeled "alcohol-free" contains no drying alcohols. It may still contain fatty alcohols, which are moisturizing, not drying.
### Clean Conscious™
**Category:** Honest standard · trademark of The Honest Company
Clean Conscious™ is The Honest Company's own formulation standard: products made without ingredients we've determined to be hazardous to human health or the environment, verified by in-house board-certified toxicologists and, for many products, by third-party certifiers including EWG and the National Eczema Association.
It is a **self-defined brand standard, not a third-party certification.** The substance behind it is the NO List™ and the toxicological review process described in [The Honest Standard](https://www.honest.com/honest-standard).
**In Honest products:** Applied across the full portfolio, including Clean Conscious™ Diapers and Clean Conscious™ Wipes.
### Cruelty Free
**Category:** Claim term
Cruelty free means a product and its ingredients were not tested on animals at any point during development or production, and that no third party was permitted to conduct such testing on the company's behalf.
**In Honest products:** All Honest products are cruelty free. Honest is certified under **PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies** program. (Note: Honest is not certified by Leaping Bunny, a separate program run by Cruelty Free International — the two are often confused.)
### Dermatologist Tested
**Category:** Claim term · not regulated
Dermatologist tested means a dermatologist supervised or participated in testing the product on human skin. It is an unregulated term with no legal definition. Critically, it means a dermatologist was *involved* — it does not mean a dermatologist recommends the product, and it does not by itself tell you the results.
**In Honest products:** Claimed on diapers, wipes, and much of the personal care line. We pair it with specific, disclosed testing: irritation and sensitization safety assessments, plus clinical and consumer efficacy testing.
### Fragrance Free
**Category:** Claim term
Fragrance free means no fragrance materials were added to the product for the purpose of giving it a scent. A fragrance-free product may still have a faint natural odor from its functional ingredients — shea butter and plant oils have their own smell.
**In Honest products:** Used on Clean Conscious™ Diapers, Training Pants, Clean Conscious™ Wipes, and our Fragrance Free bath and body products.
### Honest Clean
**Category:** Claim term
Honest Clean is a shorthand for products formulated to the Clean Conscious™ standard — made without ingredients we've deemed hazardous to health or the environment, screened against the NO List™, and audited by toxicologists.
### Hypoallergenic
**Category:** Claim term · not regulated
Hypoallergenic means a product is formulated to be less likely to cause an allergic reaction. There is **no FDA definition or legal standard** for this word — any manufacturer may use it, and each defines it for itself. It is a statement of formulation intent, not a guarantee, and no product can be allergen-free for every person.
**In Honest products:** Claimed on diapers, training pants, and wipes. Our working definition: formulated without common allergens and fragrance, and validated with repeat-insult patch testing.
### Microplastic Free
**Category:** Claim term
Microplastic free means a product contains no intentionally added synthetic polymer particles between 0.1 micrometers and 5 millimeters in size that are both water-insoluble and non-degradable. These are the particles that persist in waterways and soil.
**In Honest products:** Applied across our formulated personal care range.
### Natural
**Category:** Claim term
In Honest's usage, a product described as natural contains a minimum of **95% natural ingredients**, with at least **50% bio-based content** — meaning carbon that originated in living matter rather than petroleum.
"Natural" is not a regulated term in personal care. Note also that natural and safe are not synonyms: poison ivy is natural, and highly purified lab-made glycerin is identical whether derived from plants or not.
### Naturally Derived
**Category:** Claim term
A naturally derived ingredient originates from a plant, mineral, microbial, or animal source and has been processed or adapted to improve its performance, stability, or safety. Coco-glucoside, made by joining coconut-derived fatty alcohols to corn-derived glucose, is naturally derived — the source is natural, the finished molecule is the product of a controlled process.
### NO List™
**Category:** Honest standard · trademark of The Honest Company
The NO List™ is The Honest Company's roster of **more than 3,500 ingredients and materials we will not formulate with**, spanning our entire product portfolio. Named categories include parabens, sulfates (SLS and SLES), phthalates, formaldehyde donors, and synthetic fragrances.
The list is built from toxicological literature and global regulatory restriction lists, and is applied at the formulation stage rather than as a post-hoc screen. We note openly that manufacturing is complex and that trace background or cross-contamination levels cannot always be eliminated entirely.
### Plant-Based
**Category:** Claim term
In Honest's usage, plant-based means plant or plant-derived ingredients make up **at least 50% of the total formula or materials**. This 50% floor is the operative number behind any asterisked "plant-based" claim on our packaging.
### Botanical Ingredient
**Category:** Claim term
A botanical ingredient is a material sourced from a plant that remains minimally processed and close to its natural form — a cold-pressed seed oil or a whole-flower extract, rather than a single molecule isolated from a plant and purified.
### Plant-Derived Ingredient
**Category:** Claim term
A plant-derived ingredient originates in a plant but has been processed or chemically adapted to deliver a specific performance benefit — improved stability, a gentler feel, or better solubility than the raw plant material offers.
### Synthetic Fragrance Free
**Category:** Claim term
Synthetic fragrance free means a product contains no petroleum-derived or lab-synthesized scent compounds. It is **not the same as fragrance free.** A synthetic-fragrance-free product may still be scented, using essential oils and naturally derived aromatic materials.
**In Honest products:** This is a company-wide standard — synthetic fragrances are on the NO List™. Many Honest products are deliberately scented using disclosed essential-oil blends. Where a scent contains EU-designated fragrance allergens (limonene, linalool, geraniol, citronellol, eugenol, benzyl benzoate), we declare them on the label. Our diapers and wipes are separately **fragrance free**.
### Toxicologist Audited
**Category:** Honest standard
Toxicologist audited means a board-certified toxicologist has reviewed the final formula and every raw material in it for potential chemical hazards, dose-response relationships, anticipated real-world exposure, and overall risk characterization — before the product is approved for sale.
**In Honest products:** Every Honest formula. Our process runs in three stages: research (reviewing toxicology studies and regulatory restriction lists), assessment (investigating ingredients of concern and realistic exposure scenarios, with particular attention to infants), and risk management (setting final ingredient selection and maximum concentrations).
### Unscented
**Category:** Claim term
Unscented conventionally means a product has no perceptible smell. In the wider industry this is a weaker claim than fragrance free, because a product can be made to smell like nothing by adding a **masking fragrance**.
**In Honest products:** Where the word "Unscented" appears in an Honest product name, the product is fragrance free — no fragrance materials are added for any purpose, masking included.
### Vegan
**Category:** Claim term
Vegan means a product contains no animal-derived ingredients of any kind. In personal care the ingredients this rules out include honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, carmine, cholesterol, silk protein, and gelatin.
**In Honest products:** Many but not all Honest products are vegan. Some formulas — including certain balms and our diaper rash cream — contain beeswax (*Cera Alba*), and are not vegan. Check the individual product page.
---
## Certifications and Third-Party Seals
Unlike the claim terms above, these are issued by outside organizations with published criteria. For each, we note who issues it, what it actually requires, and which Honest products carry it.
*Note: "dermatologist tested," "hypoallergenic," and "pediatrician tested" are **not** certifications — no body issues them and no standard defines them. They are defined among the [claim terms above](#honest-standards-and-claim-terms).*
### ASTM D6866
**Category:** Test method · ASTM International
ASTM D6866 is the standardized laboratory method for measuring how much of a material's carbon came from recently living biological sources versus fossil sources. It works by measuring carbon-14, which is present in recently living matter and absent in petroleum. It is the test underlying every USDA Certified Biobased percentage.
### EN 13432
**Category:** Standard · European Committee for Standardization
EN 13432 is the European standard defining industrial compostability for packaging. To meet it, a material must satisfy **all** of: disintegration, biodegradation into CO₂ and water within a set period, absence of ecotoxicity to plants, and heavy-metal limits. ASTM D6400 is its closest North American equivalent. Meeting only the disintegration portion does not meet the standard.
### EWG VERIFIED™
**Category:** Certification · Environmental Working Group
EWG VERIFIED™ is a mark issued by the Environmental Working Group, a US nonprofit, to products that avoid EWG's list of chemicals of concern, fully disclose their ingredients, and meet defined manufacturing and labeling requirements. Companies apply for it and are reviewed.
It is distinct from an **EWG Skin Deep score**, the 1–10 hazard rating EWG assigns algorithmically to products in its database without any application from the manufacturer.
**In Honest products:** Carried on Clean Conscious™ Wipes. Check the individual product page for other SKUs.
### FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council)
**Category:** Certification · Forest Stewardship Council
FSC certification verifies the chain of custody for forest-derived material, tracing it from a responsibly managed forest through every processing step. It appears in three label grades: **FSC 100%** (all material from FSC-certified forests), **FSC Recycled**, and **FSC Mix** (a blend of FSC-certified, recycled, and "controlled wood" that has been screened to exclude illegal logging, conversion of natural forest, and other unacceptable practices).
**In Honest products:** The fluff pulp in Clean Conscious™ Diapers comes from FSC-certified forests and other controlled sources — an **FSC Mix** claim. FSC-certified material is also used in packaging.
### GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)
**Category:** Certification · Global Standard gGmbH
GOTS is the leading international standard for organic fibers, covering the full supply chain from field to finished textile. For the "organic" grade, a product must contain at least **95% certified organic fiber**, and must also meet restrictions on processing chemicals, wastewater treatment, and social/labor criteria. It is substantially stronger than an unqualified "organic cotton" claim, which speaks only to how the crop was grown.
### ISO 20200
**Category:** Test method · International Organization for Standardization
ISO 20200 is a laboratory-scale test that measures how completely a plastic material **physically disintegrates** under simulated industrial composting conditions. It is important to be precise about its limits: ISO 20200 measures physical breakdown only. It does not measure biodegradation — whether microorganisms actually metabolize the material — and it does not assess ecotoxicity. Full compostability certification (EN 13432 or ASTM D6400) requires all three.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Wipes are assessed following **modified ISO 20200 conditions**, adapted by Honest to reflect home-composting temperatures rather than industrial ones. Under that protocol the wipes disintegrate in 8 weeks. This is our own adapted test protocol demonstrating disintegration — it is not a third-party compostability certification, and we describe it that way.
### Leaping Bunny
**Category:** Certification · Cruelty Free International
Leaping Bunny is a cruelty-free certification requiring a company to establish a fixed cut-off date for animal testing, monitor its entire supplier chain, and submit to independent audit.
**Honest does not hold this certification.** Honest's cruelty-free status is certified through **PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies** program instead. The two are frequently confused in third-party write-ups.
### National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance™
**Category:** Certification · National Eczema Association
The NEA Seal of Acceptance™ is awarded by the National Eczema Association's Scientific Oversight Committee to products suitable for eczema-prone and sensitive skin. Criteria include sensitivity, irritation, and toxicity testing, plus a full ingredient review that excludes fragrance, UV absorbers, formaldehyde releasers, and everything on NEA's Ecz-clusion List.
**In Honest products:** Carried on Clean Conscious™ Wipes.
### OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100
**Category:** Certification · OEKO-TEX® Association
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certifies that every component of a textile or textile-like product — every thread, fabric layer, elastic, and print — has been laboratory tested against a list of more than 1,000 harmful substances. Product Class I, for articles intended for babies and toddlers, applies the strictest limits. Certification is renewed annually.
It is a **human-health safety certification.** It is not an organic, sustainability, or biodegradability claim.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Diapers and Clean Conscious™ Wipes are OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified.
### PETA Beauty Without Bunnies
**Category:** Certification · People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Beauty Without Bunnies is PETA's cruelty-free certification program. Companies sign a statement of assurance verifying that neither they nor their suppliers or third parties conduct animal testing on ingredients, formulations, or finished products anywhere in the world.
**In Honest products:** Honest is certified under this program.
### TÜV Austria OK compost
**Category:** Certification · TÜV Austria
OK compost is a family of compostability certifications from TÜV Austria. **OK compost INDUSTRIAL** corresponds broadly to EN 13432 and applies to commercial composting facilities that reach high temperatures. **OK compost HOME** is a separate and more demanding scheme certifying breakdown at the lower, ambient temperatures of a backyard compost bin.
### USDA Certified Biobased Product
**Category:** Certification · United States Department of Agriculture, BioPreferred® Program
The USDA Certified Biobased Product label verifies the percentage of a product's carbon that comes from renewable biological sources rather than petroleum, measured by ASTM D6866. The label states the certified percentage, and each product category has a minimum threshold to qualify.
**In Honest products:** Carried on Clean Conscious™ Wipes.
---
## Skin Science and Formulation Terms
The vocabulary behind how products are built and how skin works.
### Acquisition Distribution Layer (ADL)
**Category:** Material term
An acquisition distribution layer is a nonwoven sheet placed between a diaper's inner liner and its absorbent core. Its job is to take liquid in quickly, then spread it across the core rather than letting it pool in one spot — which is what keeps a diaper from feeling wet at the point of contact.
### Comedogenic / Non-Comedogenic
**Category:** Formulation term
A comedogenic ingredient tends to block pores and contribute to comedones — blackheads and whiteheads. **Non-comedogenic** means a product is formulated to minimize that risk. Like hypoallergenic, it is not a regulated term, and comedogenicity varies considerably between individuals.
### Emollient
**Category:** Function
An emollient is an ingredient that softens and smooths skin by filling the microscopic gaps between skin cells, leaving the surface feeling supple. Plant oils, butters, esters, and fatty alcohols are emollients. Emollients work alongside humectants (which attract water) and occlusives (which seal it in) — most good moisturizers use all three.
### Emulsifier
**Category:** Function
An emulsifier is an ingredient that allows oil and water to stay blended together instead of separating. Every lotion and cream is an emulsion, and without an emulsifier it would split in the jar within hours.
### Humectant
**Category:** Function
A humectant is an ingredient that attracts and binds water, drawing moisture from the air and from deeper skin layers into the skin's surface. Glycerin and hyaluronic acid are the best-known examples.
### Hydrophilic / Lipophilic
**Category:** Formulation term
**Hydrophilic** means water-loving — an ingredient that dissolves in water. **Lipophilic** means oil-loving — an ingredient that dissolves in oils and fats. Whether an ingredient is one or the other determines where it goes in a formula and how it behaves on skin, which is why vitamin C exists in both water-soluble and oil-soluble forms.
### INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients)
**Category:** Labeling system
INCI is the standardized global naming system for cosmetic ingredients, administered by the Personal Care Products Council. It is why an ingredient list reads *Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter* rather than "shea butter" — INCI names are consistent across every country, so the same ingredient is identifiable on a label anywhere in the world. Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration down to 1%, after which order is not required.
### Non-Nano
**Category:** Formulation term
Non-nano describes mineral particles larger than 100 nanometers in at least one dimension. In mineral sunscreen, non-nano zinc oxide particles are large enough that they are not expected to penetrate beyond the outermost layer of skin.
**In Honest products:** The zinc oxide in Honest mineral sunscreens is non-nano.
### Occlusive
**Category:** Function
An occlusive is an ingredient that forms a physical barrier on the skin's surface to slow water loss from the inside out. Waxes, butters, and petrolatum are classic occlusives. In a diaper rash cream, the occlusive layer is doing most of the work — it keeps moisture and irritants away from already-irritated skin.
### pH
**Category:** Formulation term
pH is a 0–14 scale measuring how acidic or alkaline something is, where 7 is neutral. Healthy skin sits at roughly 4.7–5.75 — mildly acidic, a state often called the **acid mantle**. Products formulated near skin's own pH are less likely to disrupt the barrier; traditional bar soaps, at pH 9–10, are a common cause of tightness and irritation.
### Repeat-Insult Patch Test (RIPT)
**Category:** Testing method
A repeat-insult patch test is a clinical study in which a product is applied under a patch to the same site on human volunteers repeatedly over several weeks, then applied again after a rest period. The repetition tests for **irritation**; the final challenge application tests for **sensitization**, an allergic response that develops with exposure. It is the standard evidence behind a hypoallergenic claim.
### Skin Barrier (Stratum Corneum)
**Category:** Skin science
The skin barrier is the outermost layer of skin — the stratum corneum — made of flattened skin cells held together by a matrix of lipids, commonly described as a brick-and-mortar structure. It keeps water in and irritants, allergens, and microbes out. Infant skin barrier function is still developing and is measurably thinner and more permeable than adult skin, which is why baby products warrant a different formulation approach rather than a scaled-down adult one.
### Stability Testing
**Category:** Testing method
Stability testing exposes a finished product to temperature extremes, light, and time to confirm it will not separate, discolor, lose potency, or become vulnerable to microbial growth over its shelf life.
**In Honest products:** Every formula undergoes stability testing across temperature variations before launch.
### Surfactant
**Category:** Function
A surfactant — short for surface-active agent — is a molecule with a water-loving end and an oil-loving end, which lets it lift oil and dirt off skin or hair and carry them away in rinse water. All cleansers work this way. Surfactants vary enormously in harshness; the gentleness of a body wash is largely determined by which ones it uses.
### Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL)
**Category:** Skin science
Transepidermal water loss is the amount of water that evaporates through the skin. A low rate indicates an intact barrier; an elevated rate signals a compromised one, and is the standard instrumental measure used to demonstrate that a moisturizer is working.
### Water (Aqua)
**Category:** Solvent · **INCI:** Water (Aqua/Eau)
Water is the solvent that makes up the base of most lotions, cleansers, serums, and wipes. It appears first on most ingredient lists simply because it is the largest component by weight. Cosmetic water is purified — typically by deionization and filtration — to remove minerals and microbes before use.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Wipes are over 99% water.
---
## Emollients, Oils and Butters
The ingredients that soften skin, carry actives, and give a formula its feel.
### Argan Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Argan oil is a light, fast-absorbing oil pressed from the kernels of the Moroccan argan tree, rich in oleic and linoleic fatty acids and naturally high in vitamin E.
**In Honest products:** Stay Hydrated Hyaluronic Acid + NMF Serum.
### Baobab Seed Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Baobab seed oil is pressed from the seeds of the African baobab tree and is notably balanced in saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, which makes it both nourishing and unusually resistant to going rancid.
**In Honest products:** Deep Hydration Face Cream.
### Beeswax
**Category:** Occlusive, thickener · **INCI:** Cera Alba
Beeswax is a natural wax secreted by honeybees, used to thicken balms and creams and to form a protective occlusive layer on skin. **Beeswax is an animal-derived ingredient**, so any product containing it is not vegan.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream and certain balms and sunscreen sticks.
### Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Caprylic/capric triglyceride is a lightweight emollient ester made by combining fatty acids from coconut or palm oil with glycerin. It spreads easily, absorbs without greasiness, and dissolves oil-soluble actives so they distribute evenly through a formula. It is more stable than the raw oils it comes from.
**In Honest products:** Face + Body Lotions, The Daily Calm, Retinol Face Serum, Calm & POREfect Serum.
### Carnauba Wax
**Category:** Thickener · **INCI:** Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax
Carnauba wax is a hard, high-melting plant wax harvested from the leaves of a Brazilian palm. It gives sticks and balms their structure and helps them hold shape in heat. It is a vegan alternative to beeswax.
**In Honest products:** Sunscreen sticks and balms.
### Castor Seed Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
Castor seed oil is a thick, notably viscous plant oil pressed from castor beans, unusually high in ricinoleic acid. Its tackiness helps films cling to skin, which is useful in a barrier cream.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream, Face + Body Lotions.
### Cocoa Butter
**Category:** Emollient, occlusive · **INCI:** Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter
Cocoa butter is a solid fat pressed from cacao beans that melts at body temperature, leaving a rich occlusive film. It is a traditional ingredient for dry and stretched skin.
**In Honest products:** Balms and body care.
### Coco-Caprylate
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Coco-Caprylate / Coco-Caprylate-Caprate
Coco-caprylate is a plant-derived ester made from coconut fatty alcohols, used to give formulas a light, silky, dry-touch finish. It is commonly used as a naturally derived alternative to silicones.
**In Honest products:** Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, Hydrogel Cream.
### Coconut Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
Coconut oil is a solid-at-room-temperature plant oil pressed from coconut flesh, high in saturated fatty acids including lauric acid. It softens and conditions skin and hair and has a naturally occlusive quality.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream, Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream, Face + Body Lotion, Shampoo + Body Wash.
### Dimethicone
**Category:** Emollient, occlusive · **INCI:** Dimethicone
Dimethicone is a silicone-based polymer that forms a smooth, breathable film on skin, reducing water loss and giving products a silky slip. It is chemically inert, non-comedogenic in most studies, and widely used in dermatology — including as an FDA-recognized skin protectant.
**In Honest products:** Used in several face moisturizers, including Everyday Radiance and Deep Hydration Face Cream, and in Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+.
### Grape Seed Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil
Grape seed oil is a light, quickly absorbed oil pressed from wine-grape seeds, high in linoleic acid and naturally containing antioxidant polyphenols.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream.
### Jojoba Esters
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Jojoba Esters / Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Jojoba esters are waxes derived from jojoba oil and modified for a lighter, more stable feel than the raw oil. Structurally they closely resemble sebum, the skin's own oil, which is why jojoba-derived materials absorb without feeling heavy.
**In Honest products:** One of our most widely used emollients — Face + Body Lotions, Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream, Hydrogel Cream, Retinol Face Serum, The Daily Calm, Mineral Sunscreen Spray, Deep Hydration Face Cream.
### Jojoba Seed Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
Jojoba seed oil is a liquid wax pressed from the seeds of the jojoba shrub. Because its structure is so close to human sebum, it absorbs readily and is well tolerated by most skin types, including oily and acne-prone skin.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream, Shampoo + Body Wash.
### Olive Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil; Ethylhexyl Olivate
Olive oil is a plant oil pressed from olives, high in oleic acid and naturally containing vitamin E and polyphenols. **Ethylhexyl olivate** is a lighter olive-derived ester used when the raw oil would feel too heavy.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream, Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream.
### Safflower Seed Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil
Safflower seed oil is a light plant oil notably high in linoleic acid — an essential fatty acid that is a building block of the skin's own barrier lipids, and one found at reduced levels in eczema-prone skin.
**In Honest products:** Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream, Face + Body Lotions, Mineral Sunscreen Spray, Shampoo + Body Wash.
### Shea Butter
**Category:** Emollient, occlusive · **INCI:** Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
Shea butter is a rich fat extracted from the nuts of the West African shea tree, containing both fatty acids that soften skin and unsaponifiable compounds that help condition it. It melts at body temperature and leaves a lasting protective film, making it a staple in barrier and dry-skin products.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream, Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream, Deep Hydration Face Cream, sunscreen sticks.
### Squalane
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Squalane
Squalane is a lightweight, exceptionally stable emollient that closely mirrors squalene, a lipid the human body produces naturally and produces less of with age. Cosmetic squalane is typically derived from olives or sugarcane. It absorbs quickly without residue and suits sensitive and acne-prone skin.
**In Honest products:** Hydrogel Cream and Retinol Face Serum (second ingredient in both), Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream.
### Sunflower Seed Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
Sunflower seed oil is a light, linoleic-acid-rich plant oil that absorbs readily and has been studied for its supportive effect on skin barrier function in infants.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream, sunscreen sticks, Hydrating Face + Body Lotion.
### Sweet Almond Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
Sweet almond oil is a mild, moderately rich oil pressed from almonds, long used for massage and infant skin care because it spreads well and is generally well tolerated.
**In Honest products:** Gently Nourishing Shampoo + Body Wash.
### Tamanu Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Tamanu oil is a thick, deep-green oil pressed from the nuts of the Southeast Asian tamanu tree, traditionally used on irritated and compromised skin and rich in calophyllolide and fatty acids.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream.
---
## Humectants and Hydrators
Ingredients that pull water into skin and hold it there.
### Allantoin
**Category:** Soothing agent · **INCI:** Allantoin
Allantoin is a skin-conditioning compound, originally isolated from comfrey root and now produced synthetically for purity, that soothes and helps soften rough or flaking skin. It is well tolerated and commonly used in products for sensitive and irritated skin.
**In Honest products:** The Daily Calm, Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream, Face + Body Lotions, Clearing Night Serum.
### Betaine
**Category:** Humectant · **INCI:** Betaine
Betaine is a sugar-beet-derived humectant that hydrates skin while also acting as an osmolyte — a compound that helps cells manage water balance under stress. It is gentle enough for sensitive skin.
### Erythritol
**Category:** Humectant · **INCI:** Erythritol
Erythritol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol used as a lightweight humectant that draws water into the skin's surface without tackiness.
### Glycerin
**Category:** Humectant · **INCI:** Glycerin · **Also known as:** glycerol
Glycerin is a humectant that draws water from the air and from deeper skin layers into the stratum corneum and holds it there. It is among the most studied and widely used moisturizing ingredients in all of personal care, effective at low concentrations, well tolerated by nearly every skin type, and safe for newborn skin.
**In Honest products:** Present in nearly every Honest formula, from baby lotion to face serums.
### Hyaluronic Acid
**Category:** Humectant · **INCI:** Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule that occurs naturally in skin and connective tissue, capable of binding many times its own weight in water. In skincare it holds moisture at the skin's surface, giving an immediate plumping, smoothing effect.
Different forms behave differently: **sodium hyaluronate** is a salt form that is more stable and penetrates slightly better; **hydrolyzed** forms are broken into smaller fragments; **sodium acetylated hyaluronate** is modified to adhere to skin longer. Formulas often combine several molecular weights to hydrate at different depths.
**In Honest products:** Hydrogel Cream, Vitamin C Radiance Serum, Retinol Face Serum, Stay Hydrated HA + NMF Serum, Calm & POREfect Serum, The Daily Calm, Daily Green Juice, Everyday Radiance.
### Maltitol
**Category:** Humectant · **INCI:** Maltitol
Maltitol is a sugar alcohol used as a humectant to draw and hold moisture in the skin's outer layer.
### Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF)
**Category:** Skin science / ingredient complex
Natural moisturizing factor is the mixture of water-binding compounds that skin produces on its own inside the cells of the stratum corneum — free amino acids, PCA, lactates, urea, and sugars. It is what allows healthy skin to hold water. NMF levels drop in dry, aging, and eczema-prone skin, and formulas can supply the same components topically.
**In Honest products:** Stay Hydrated HA + NMF Serum supplies an amino-acid complex of serine, alanine, glycine, PCA, threonine, arginine, proline, glutamic acid, lysine HCl, and sodium lactate.
### Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5)
**Category:** Humectant, soothing agent · **INCI:** Panthenol
Panthenol is the alcohol form of vitamin B5, which converts to pantothenic acid in the skin. It hydrates, supports barrier repair, and has a calming effect on irritated skin. In hair products it binds moisture along the shaft, improving softness and reducing breakage.
**In Honest products:** Shampoo + Body Wash, Face + Body Lotions.
### Propanediol
**Category:** Humectant, solvent · **INCI:** Propanediol
Propanediol is a corn-derived humectant and solvent that hydrates skin and helps other ingredients dissolve and absorb. It is widely used as a plant-derived alternative to propylene glycol, with a lighter feel and better tolerance on sensitive skin.
### Saccharide Isomerate
**Category:** Humectant · **INCI:** Saccharide Isomerate
Saccharide isomerate is a plant-derived carbohydrate complex that binds to the skin's surface proteins, delivering hydration that persists through washing rather than rinsing away.
**In Honest products:** Calm & POREfect Serum.
### Sodium PCA
**Category:** Humectant · **INCI:** Sodium PCA
Sodium PCA is the salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, one of the naturally occurring components of the skin's own natural moisturizing factor. It is an efficient humectant that skin recognizes because it already makes it.
**In Honest products:** Shampoo + Body Wash, Hydrogel Cream, Vitamin C Radiance Serum, Stay Hydrated Serum.
### Sorbitol
**Category:** Humectant · **INCI:** Sorbitol
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol, found naturally in fruits and berries, used as a humectant to attract and retain moisture.
### Trehalose
**Category:** Humectant · **INCI:** Trehalose
Trehalose is a naturally occurring sugar that some plants and organisms produce to survive dehydration. In skincare it acts as a humectant and helps protect cell membranes from moisture stress.
---
## Active Ingredients
Ingredients included to deliver a specific, measurable effect. Several are FDA-regulated over-the-counter drug actives, which is noted where it applies.
### Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
**Category:** Exfoliant · **Examples:** Lactic Acid, Malic Acid
Alpha hydroxy acids are water-soluble acids, originally derived from fruit and milk sugars, that loosen the bonds holding dull, dead cells to the skin's surface so they shed more evenly. The result is smoother texture and brighter tone. AHAs increase sun sensitivity, so daily SPF matters when using them.
**In Honest products:** Lactic acid in Everyday Radiance Moisturizer; malic acid in Face + Body Lotions and Daily Green Juice Serum.
### Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
**Category:** Prebiotic · **INCI:** Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Alpha-glucan oligosaccharide is a plant-derived sugar chain that acts as a prebiotic, selectively feeding the beneficial bacteria that live on skin and help maintain its natural protective barrier.
**In Honest products:** Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream.
### Ascorbyl Palmitate
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Ascorbyl Palmitate
Ascorbyl palmitate is an oil-soluble, stabilized derivative of vitamin C. Its lipophilic nature lets it work within the oil phase of a formula, where it also helps protect other oils from oxidizing.
**In Honest products:** Face + Body Lotions.
### Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) / Salicylic Acid
**Category:** Exfoliant · **INCI:** Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid is an oil-soluble exfoliating acid able to penetrate into pores and clear the mix of oil and dead cells that causes congestion, which is why it is the standard active for blackheads and acne. It is a regulated OTC drug active for acne treatment in the US.
**Note on Honest formulas:** Honest's exfoliating and clarifying products are built primarily on **gluconolactone (a PHA), lactic acid, and malic acid** rather than salicylic acid. Check an individual product's Drug Facts panel for its actives.
### Bisabolol
**Category:** Soothing agent · **INCI:** Bisabolol
Bisabolol is the main soothing compound naturally found in chamomile, used in concentrated form to calm visible redness and reduce the appearance of irritation. It is gentle enough for sensitive-skin formulas.
### Colloidal Oatmeal
**Category:** OTC skin protectant · **INCI:** Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour / Colloidal Oatmeal
Colloidal oatmeal is finely milled whole oat suspended in liquid, recognized by the FDA as an over-the-counter **skin protectant** for temporarily protecting and relieving minor skin irritation and itching due to eczema and rashes. Its avenanthramides and beta-glucans soothe, while its natural lipids form a moisturizing film.
**In Honest products:** Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream, at **1% colloidal oatmeal** as the active ingredient.
### Ergothioneine
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Ergothioneine
Ergothioneine is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative, concentrated in mushrooms, that acts as a potent antioxidant and helps defend skin cells against oxidative stress from UV exposure and pollution.
### Gluconolactone
**Category:** PHA exfoliant, preservative booster · **INCI:** Gluconolactone
Gluconolactone is a polyhydroxy acid (PHA) — a gentler class of exfoliating acid whose larger molecule penetrates more slowly than an AHA, making it better tolerated by sensitive skin. It also functions as a humectant and helps boost a formula's preservative system.
**In Honest products:** Everyday Radiance Moisturizer, Clearing Night Serum, Daily Green Juice Serum.
### Glyceryl Ascorbate
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Glyceryl Ascorbate
Glyceryl ascorbate is a stabilized vitamin C derivative bound to glycerin, combining antioxidant and brightening activity with added hydration and better shelf stability than pure ascorbic acid.
**In Honest products:** Clearing Night Serum.
### Linoleic Acid
**Category:** Barrier lipid · **INCI:** Linoleic Acid
Linoleic acid is an essential omega-6 fatty acid the body cannot make on its own and a direct building block of ceramides in the skin barrier. Skin that is dry, eczema-prone, or acne-prone is frequently low in it, and topical linoleic acid supports barrier repair.
**In Honest products:** Part of the barrier-lipid complex in The Daily Calm and Calm & POREfect Serum.
### Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
**Category:** Multi-active · **INCI:** Niacinamide
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 with an unusually broad evidence base: it supports the skin's barrier by boosting ceramide production, helps regulate oil, visibly reduces the appearance of pores and uneven tone, and calms redness. It is well tolerated and pairs safely with nearly every other active, including retinol and vitamin C.
**In Honest products:** Calm & POREfect Serum (third ingredient), Daily Green Juice Serum, Retinol Face Serum, Clearing Night Serum.
### Phospholipids
**Category:** Barrier lipid · **INCI:** Phospholipids
Phospholipids are the fat molecules that make up cell membranes, used topically to reinforce the lipid matrix of the skin barrier and improve how well a formula's other ingredients are delivered.
**In Honest products:** The Daily Calm, Calm & POREfect Serum.
### Phytosterols
**Category:** Barrier lipid · **INCI:** Phytosterols
Phytosterols are plant-derived compounds structurally similar to cholesterol, which is one of the three lipid classes in the skin barrier. They help replenish that matrix and have a calming effect on irritated skin.
**In Honest products:** The Daily Calm, Calm & POREfect Serum. *Note: Honest's barrier formulas use a phytosterol, phospholipid, and linoleic acid complex rather than synthetic ceramides.*
### Prebiotics
**Category:** Function
Prebiotics are substances that feed the beneficial bacteria naturally living on the skin, supporting the balance of the skin microbiome and, through it, the skin's own protective barrier. They are not live organisms — that would be a probiotic.
**In Honest products:** Alpha-glucan oligosaccharide in Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream.
### Retinol
**Category:** Active · **INCI:** Retinol
Retinol is a vitamin A derivative and the most extensively researched over-the-counter ingredient for the visible signs of aging. Skin converts it into retinoic acid, which increases cell turnover and supports collagen, softening the look of fine lines and uneven texture over consistent use.
Retinol commonly causes an adjustment period of dryness or flaking. It increases sun sensitivity, so daily SPF is essential, and **retinoids are generally avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding** — check with your healthcare provider.
**In Honest products:** Retinol Face Serum and Clearing Night Serum, formulated with Honestly Pure Retinol.
### Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate is a water-soluble, stabilized vitamin C derivative that converts to ascorbic acid in the skin. It resists oxidation far better than pure vitamin C — which browns and loses potency quickly — while delivering antioxidant protection and visible brightening with less irritation.
**In Honest products:** Vitamin C Radiance Serum.
### Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Tocopherol
Tocopherol is the primary form of vitamin E used in skincare, a fat-soluble antioxidant that protects skin lipids from oxidative damage while also conditioning skin. Inside a formula it does double duty, protecting the product's own plant oils from going rancid. It works synergistically with vitamin C, which regenerates it after it neutralizes a free radical.
**In Honest products:** Used in nearly every oil-containing Honest formula.
### Zinc Oxide
**Category:** OTC sunscreen and skin protectant active · **INCI:** Zinc Oxide
Zinc oxide is a mineral that sits on the skin's surface and physically blocks and scatters ultraviolet light. It is a **broad-spectrum** filter, covering both UVA and UVB, and one of only two mineral sunscreen actives recognized by the FDA. In higher concentrations it also acts as an OTC **skin protectant**, forming a barrier that treats and prevents diaper rash.
**In Honest products:** The only sunscreen filter Honest uses — our sun care line is **mineral-only**, with no chemical filters. Concentrations: **14%** in Diaper Rash Cream, **19%** in Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, **12%** in Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 30, plus our SPF 30 sunscreen sticks. All non-nano.
---
## Botanical Extracts
Plant extracts used for their conditioning, soothing, or antioxidant properties. INCI names are given because botanical labels use Latin binomials.
### Acerola Fruit Extract
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Malpighia Glabra (Acerola) Fruit Extract
Acerola is a Caribbean cherry with one of the highest natural vitamin C concentrations of any fruit, used as a botanical antioxidant and brightening ingredient.
### Aloe Vera
**Category:** Soothing agent · **INCI:** Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice / Leaf Powder
Aloe vera is the gel from the leaves of the aloe plant, roughly 99% water with polysaccharides, amino acids, and enzymes making up the rest. It hydrates and has a long-standing traditional and clinical use for calming irritated, overheated, and sun-exposed skin.
**In Honest products:** Used across bath, body, and sun care.
### Amla Fruit Extract
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is a fruit extract exceptionally rich in vitamin C and tannins, used as an antioxidant and to help even the look of skin tone.
### Artichoke Leaf Extract
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Cynara Scolymus (Artichoke) Leaf Extract
Artichoke leaf extract is rich in cynarin and other polyphenols, used to support a smoother, more refined look and help defend against environmental stressors.
### Calendula Flower Extract
**Category:** Soothing agent · **INCI:** Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Calendula is an extract of marigold flowers with a long history in traditional skin care for calming irritation. It is a common choice in baby products and formulas intended for delicate or compromised skin.
**In Honest products:** Baby and sensitive-skin formulas.
### Carrot Root Extract
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract
Carrot root extract supplies carotenoids — the pigments the body can convert toward vitamin A — used for antioxidant support and skin conditioning.
### Chamomile Flower Extract
**Category:** Soothing agent · **INCI:** Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
Chamomile flower extract contains bisabolol and chamazulene, compounds valued for visibly calming redness and irritation. It is a long-standing ingredient in sensitive-skin and baby care.
**In Honest products:** Baby and sensitive-skin formulas.
### Green Tea
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract / Seed Oil
Green tea is rich in polyphenols, chiefly EGCG, which are among the best-studied plant antioxidants for defending skin against free-radical damage and calming visible irritation. The **seed oil** is a light, conditioning emollient pressed from the same plant.
**In Honest products:** Green tea seed oil in Everyday Radiance Moisturizer and Daily Green Juice Serum.
### Kale Leaf Extract
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Brassica Oleracea Acephala (Kale) Leaf Extract
Kale leaf extract supplies vitamins K, C, and A along with antioxidant flavonoids, used for environmental defense and skin conditioning.
**In Honest products:** Daily Green Juice Serum.
### Kiwi Seed Oil
**Category:** Emollient, antioxidant · **INCI:** Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Seed Oil
Kiwi seed oil is a light oil notably high in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, used for its conditioning and antioxidant properties.
**In Honest products:** Stay Hydrated HA + NMF Serum.
### Licorice Root Extract
**Category:** Brightening agent · **INCI:** Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
Licorice root extract contains glabridin and liquiritin, compounds well studied for helping visibly even skin tone and calm redness, making it a gentle botanical alternative to harsher brightening ingredients.
### Neem
**Category:** Botanical · **INCI:** Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Neem is an extract from the leaves of the Indian neem tree, used in traditional Ayurvedic practice and valued in modern formulas for its conditioning and purifying properties.
### Prickly Pear Extract
**Category:** Antioxidant, humectant · **INCI:** Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract
Prickly pear extract comes from a desert cactus adapted to conserve water, and supplies betalains, flavonoids, and polysaccharides used for antioxidant protection and hydration.
### Radish Seed Oil
**Category:** Emollient · **INCI:** Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Seed Oil
Radish seed oil is a light, stable plant oil with a silky finish, often used as a naturally derived alternative to silicones.
**In Honest products:** Deep Hydration Face Cream, Everyday Radiance Moisturizer.
### Rice Bran Extract
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract
Rice bran extract is drawn from the outer layer of the rice grain and contains ferulic acid, oryzanol, and vitamin E, used for antioxidant support and for softening and smoothing skin.
### Rosehip Fruit Extract
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Rosehip is the fruit of the wild rose, rich in vitamin C and carotenoids, used to support radiance and defend against environmental stress.
### Sea Kelp
**Category:** Conditioning agent · **INCI:** Alaria Esculenta Extract
Sea kelp extract is derived from a cold-water brown seaweed and supplies mineral-rich polysaccharides that bind water at the skin's surface and help condition it.
**In Honest products:** Deep Hydration Face Cream.
### Turmeric Root Extract
**Category:** Antioxidant · **INCI:** Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract
Turmeric root extract contains curcuminoids, polyphenols with well-documented antioxidant properties, used to help calm the look of irritation and support an even tone.
---
## Cleansing Agents and Surfactants
Honest formulates without SLS and SLES. These are the gentler surfactants used instead.
### Coco-Glucoside
**Category:** Surfactant · **INCI:** Coco-Glucoside
Coco-glucoside is a mild, plant-derived cleansing agent made by joining coconut fatty alcohols with glucose from corn. It belongs to the alkyl polyglucoside family — non-ionic surfactants known for cleansing effectively without stripping the skin barrier, and gentle enough for baby products.
**In Honest products:** Mineral Sunscreen Spray and cleansing formulas.
### Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
**Category:** Surfactant · **INCI:** Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine is a coconut-derived amphoteric surfactant — meaning its charge shifts with pH — used as a primary gentle cleanser that produces a stable lather while remaining mild on skin and eyes.
**In Honest products:** Primary surfactant in Shampoo + Body Wash.
### Coconut Fatty Acid
**Category:** Surfactant precursor · **INCI:** Coconut Acid
Coconut fatty acid is the mixture of fatty acids obtained from coconut oil, used as a raw material for making mild surfactants and as a formulation aid that contributes to lather quality.
### Decyl Glucoside
**Category:** Surfactant · **INCI:** Decyl Glucoside
Decyl glucoside is a mild, plant-derived alkyl polyglucoside surfactant made from coconut or corn, widely used in sensitive-skin and baby cleansers for its low irritation profile.
### Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
**Category:** Surfactant · **INCI:** Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Disodium cocoyl glutamate is an amino-acid-based surfactant derived from coconut oil and glutamic acid. Amino acid surfactants are among the mildest available and sit close to skin's natural pH.
**In Honest products:** Shampoo + Body Wash.
### Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
**Category:** Conditioning agent · **INCI:** Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride is a conditioning polymer derived from guar bean gum, carrying a positive charge that makes it bind to damaged hair and skin during rinsing, improving softness and detangling.
**In Honest products:** Shampoo + Body Wash.
### Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
**Category:** Surfactant · **INCI:** Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a coconut-derived surfactant recognized for a dense, creamy lather and an exceptionally mild profile. It is the ingredient that gives syndet (synthetic detergent) cleansing bars their gentleness compared with traditional soap.
### Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
**Category:** Surfactant · **INCI:** Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
Sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate is a plant-derived hybrid surfactant combining a sugar-based glucoside with a sulfonate group, delivering the lather people expect from a sulfate without the barrier disruption associated with SLS and SLES.
**In Honest products:** Shampoo + Body Wash.
### Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
**Category:** Surfactant · **INCI:** Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
Sorbitan oleate decylglucoside crosspolymer is a plant-derived, non-ionic cleansing and solubilizing agent used at low levels in very mild formulas where lather is not wanted.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Wipes solution.
---
## Preservatives and Stabilizers
Any product containing water needs preservation — without it, mold, yeast, and bacteria grow within days. These are the systems Honest uses, all of them parabens-free and formaldehyde-donor-free.
### Benzoic Acid
**Category:** Preservative · **INCI:** Benzoic Acid
Benzoic acid is a preservative that occurs naturally in cranberries, plums, and cinnamon, effective chiefly against yeast and mold in formulas at a mildly acidic pH. It is the acid form of sodium benzoate.
### Benzyl Alcohol
**Category:** Preservative, solvent · **INCI:** Benzyl Alcohol
Benzyl alcohol is an aromatic alcohol that occurs naturally in jasmine and ylang-ylang, used as a broad-spectrum preservative and solvent. It is approved for use in certified-natural formulas.
### Caprylhydroxamic Acid
**Category:** Preservative booster · **INCI:** Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylhydroxamic acid is a coconut-derived preservative booster that works by binding iron, an element mold and bacteria require to grow. It is effective at skin-friendly pH levels, where many traditional preservatives are not.
**In Honest products:** Part of our signature preservative trio across serums and washes.
### Caprylyl Glycol
**Category:** Preservative booster, humectant · **INCI:** Caprylyl Glycol
Caprylyl glycol is a coconut-derived alcohol that hydrates skin while boosting a formula's preservative system, allowing lower total preservative levels.
**In Honest products:** Widely used, including in the Clean Conscious™ Wipes solution.
### Ethylhexylglycerin
**Category:** Preservative booster, skin conditioner · **INCI:** Ethylhexylglycerin
Ethylhexylglycerin is a plant-derived glycerin derivative that conditions skin, boosts preservative efficacy, and also functions as a deodorizing agent by inhibiting the bacteria that break down sweat.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Wipes solution and across personal care.
### Glyceryl Caprylate
**Category:** Preservative booster, emollient · **INCI:** Glyceryl Caprylate
Glyceryl caprylate is a plant-derived ester that softens skin, helps stabilize emulsions, and contributes antimicrobial activity, letting formulas use gentler overall preservation.
### 1,2-Hexanediol
**Category:** Preservative booster, humectant · **INCI:** 1,2-Hexanediol
1,2-Hexanediol is a multifunctional ingredient that hydrates skin, dissolves other ingredients, and strengthens a formula's resistance to microbial growth.
### Hydroxyacetophenone
**Category:** Antioxidant, preservative booster · **INCI:** Hydroxyacetophenone
Hydroxyacetophenone is an antioxidant that also stabilizes preservative systems and has a soothing effect on skin, allowing formulas to remain gentle while staying protected.
### Phenoxyethanol
**Category:** Preservative · **INCI:** Phenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol is a broad-spectrum preservative that occurs naturally in green tea and is produced synthetically for cosmetic use. It is effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold, and is permitted at up to 1% in the US, EU, and Japan. It has been reviewed repeatedly by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel and the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and found safe at that level.
**In Honest products:** Used in select Honest Beauty formulas, including Calm & POREfect Serum. It is **not** on the NO List™.
### Potassium Sorbate
**Category:** Preservative · **INCI:** Potassium Sorbate
Potassium sorbate is the salt of sorbic acid, originally identified in rowan berries, used as a gentle preservative especially effective against mold and yeast. It is also a common food preservative.
**In Honest products:** Used widely, often paired with sodium benzoate.
### Sodium Benzoate
**Category:** Preservative · **INCI:** Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate is the salt of benzoic acid, used as a mild preservative that protects against bacteria, yeast, and mold in slightly acidic formulas. It is one of the most common preservatives in both food and personal care.
**In Honest products:** Used widely, including in the Clean Conscious™ Wipes solution.
### Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
**Category:** Chelating agent · **INCI:** Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinate is a chelating agent — an ingredient that binds trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise degrade a formula, reduce preservative performance, or cause discoloration. It is a readily biodegradable alternative to EDTA.
**In Honest products:** Used in nearly every water-based Honest formula, including Clean Conscious™ Wipes.
---
## Emulsifiers, Thickeners and pH Adjusters
The structural ingredients — what gives a lotion its body and keeps it from separating.
### Acacia Senegal Gum
**Category:** Thickener · **INCI:** Acacia Senegal Gum
Acacia senegal gum, also called gum arabic, is a natural gum harvested from acacia tree sap, used to thicken formulas and give them a smooth, non-tacky finish.
### Cetearyl Alcohol
**Category:** Fatty alcohol, emulsifier · **INCI:** Cetearyl Alcohol
Cetearyl alcohol is a blend of cetyl and stearyl fatty alcohols, derived from coconut or other plant oils, used to thicken creams, stabilize emulsions, and soften skin. Despite the word "alcohol," it is **not drying** — it is a waxy solid that conditions skin, the opposite of what ethanol does.
### Citric Acid
**Category:** pH adjuster · **INCI:** Citric Acid
Citric acid is the acid found naturally in citrus fruits, used in small amounts to bring a formula's pH into skin's mildly acidic range. At the low levels used for pH adjustment it is not acting as an exfoliant.
**In Honest products:** Used across formulas, including the Clean Conscious™ Wipes solution.
### Glyceryl Stearate
**Category:** Emulsifier, emollient · **INCI:** Glyceryl Stearate; Glyceryl Stearate SE; Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Glyceryl stearate is a plant-derived ester of glycerin and stearic acid, used to bind oil and water into a stable cream while also softening skin. The **SE** (self-emulsifying) and **citrate** variants offer different stability and skin-feel characteristics.
### Hectorite / Bentonite
**Category:** Thickener · **INCI:** Hectorite; Disteardimonium Hectorite; Bentonite
Hectorite and bentonite are naturally occurring clays used to thicken formulas and hold particles evenly suspended — the reason mineral sunscreen does not settle into a layer of zinc at the bottom of the bottle.
### Lecithin
**Category:** Emulsifier · **INCI:** Lecithin; Hydrogenated Lecithin; Lysolecithin
Lecithin is a natural phospholipid mixture, typically from soybeans or sunflower seeds, used as an emulsifier that also reinforces the skin's lipid barrier. **Hydrogenated lecithin** is a more stable, oxidation-resistant version.
### Polyglyceryl Esters
**Category:** Emulsifier · **INCI:** Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, and related
Polyglyceryl esters are a family of plant-derived emulsifiers made by linking glycerin units to fatty acids. They are widely used as gentle, readily biodegradable alternatives to PEG-based emulsifiers, which are produced using ethylene oxide.
### Pullulan
**Category:** Film former · **INCI:** Pullulan
Pullulan is a polysaccharide produced by fermentation that forms a clear, flexible film on skin, used for an immediate smoothing, tightening effect and to help hold a formula in place.
### Sclerotium Gum
**Category:** Thickener · **INCI:** Sclerotium Gum
Sclerotium gum is a natural polysaccharide produced by fermentation, used to thicken and stabilize formulas with a notably light, non-sticky slip.
### Silica
**Category:** Absorbent, texturizer · **INCI:** Silica
Silica is a mineral — silicon dioxide, the primary component of sand and quartz — used in cosmetics as a fine powder that absorbs excess oil, softens the look of texture, and prevents caking.
### Sodium Hydroxide
**Category:** pH adjuster · **INCI:** Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkali used in trace amounts to raise a formula's pH into the correct range. It is fully neutralized during manufacturing; none remains active in the finished product.
### Xanthan Gum
**Category:** Thickener · **INCI:** Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide produced by fermenting sugar with the bacterium *Xanthomonas campestris*, used to thicken water-based formulas and keep emulsions from separating. It is one of the most common naturally derived thickeners in both food and personal care.
---
## Diaper, Wipe and Material Terms
The vocabulary of how a diaper and a wipe are actually built.
### Absorbent Core
**Category:** Material term
The absorbent core is the layer inside a diaper that holds liquid — a blend of fluff pulp and superabsorbent polymer sandwiched between the inner and outer layers. It does the actual work of a diaper; everything else positions, contains, or covers it.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Diapers use what we call the **Absorbent Bio-Core**: elemental chlorine free (ECF) wood pulp from responsibly managed forests and other controlled sources, plus sodium polyacrylate containing renewable materials, with odor inhibitors including citrus extract and liquid chlorophyll.
### Backsheet
**Category:** Material term
The backsheet is the outermost layer of a diaper — the printed, waterproof film that keeps liquid from passing through to clothing or bedding. It has to be impermeable to liquid while ideally remaining breathable to water vapor.
**In Honest products:** The Clean Conscious™ Diaper outer layer is **plant-based PLA and polyethylene**, printed with our designs. Note that training pants use a polypropylene outer layer without PLA.
### Bio-Based / Bio-Polyethylene (Bio-PE)
**Category:** Material term
A bio-based material is one whose carbon comes from recently living biological sources rather than petroleum. **Bio-polyethylene** is made by fermenting plant sugar — typically sugarcane — into ethanol, then converting it to the same polyethylene molecule made from oil.
An important clarification: bio-based describes the **feedstock, not the end of life.** Bio-PE is chemically identical to fossil-derived PE, which means it is equally durable and equally non-biodegradable. It lowers the fossil carbon footprint; it does not make a material compostable.
### Chlorine-Free Processing: ECF vs. TCF
**Category:** Material term
Wood pulp is brightened before use, and there are two standards for doing it without chlorine gas:
- **ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free)** means the pulp is processed with chlorine dioxide instead of elemental chlorine gas. This dramatically reduces chlorinated byproducts, including dioxins, but does not eliminate chlorine compounds from the process entirely.
- **TCF (Totally Chlorine Free)** means no chlorine compounds of any kind are used — oxygen, ozone, or hydrogen peroxide do the work instead.
**In Honest products:** The fluff pulp in Clean Conscious™ Diapers is **ECF — elemental chlorine free.** We state this specifically rather than claiming "chlorine-free," because trace chlorine compounds occur naturally and a blanket claim would overstate it.
### Fluff Pulp
**Category:** Material term
Fluff pulp is wood cellulose that has been mechanically shredded into soft, fibrous material, forming the absorbent mat inside a diaper. It provides the initial capacity and the structure that holds superabsorbent polymer in place.
**In Honest products:** Sourced from FSC-certified forests and other controlled sources, and processed elemental chlorine free (ECF).
### Inner Layer (Topsheet)
**Category:** Material term
The inner layer, known in the industry as the **topsheet**, is the layer that touches a baby's skin. Its job is to pass liquid quickly through to the core below and then stay as dry as possible against the skin.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Diapers use a polyethylene and polypropylene inner layer.
### Leg Cuffs
**Category:** Material term
Leg cuffs are the elasticized barriers running along the leg openings of a diaper, standing up against the thigh to contain leaks at the most common escape point.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Diapers have Comfy Fit leg cuffs, part of our 5-point leak protection. Materials: polymer spandex and polypropylene.
### Nonwoven
**Category:** Material term
A nonwoven is a fabric made by bonding fibers together with heat, chemicals, or mechanical entanglement rather than by weaving or knitting them. Most of the soft layers in a diaper or wipe are nonwovens — the construction is faster, cheaper, and better suited to single-use hygiene products than weaving.
### Odor Inhibitor
**Category:** Material term
An odor inhibitor is a material added to an absorbent core to neutralize or mask the smell of urine as it breaks down into ammonia.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Diapers use **citrus extract and liquid chlorophyll** as odor inhibitors.
### PLA (Polylactic Acid)
**Category:** Material term
PLA is a bioplastic made by fermenting plant sugars — usually from corn or sugarcane — into lactic acid and polymerizing it. Unlike bio-PE, PLA is a genuinely different molecule from conventional plastics and is compostable **under industrial composting conditions**, meaning sustained high heat. It does not reliably break down in a backyard bin or a landfill.
**In Honest products:** Part of the plant-based outer layer of Clean Conscious™ Diapers, blended with polyethylene.
### Polyolefin Adhesive
**Category:** Material term
Polyolefin adhesives are hot-melt glues from the polyethylene and polypropylene family, used to bond a diaper's layers at seams and joints. They are applied hot and set on cooling, with no solvents involved.
**In Honest products:** Used at seams and joints in Clean Conscious™ Diapers.
### Sodium Polyacrylate
See [Superabsorbent Polymer](#superabsorbent-polymer-sap).
### Spunbond
**Category:** Material term
Spunbond is a specific nonwoven manufacturing process in which molten polymer is extruded into continuous filaments, laid down into a web, and bonded — typically with heat and pressure. It produces the soft, strong, lightweight fabric used for diaper liners and cuffs.
### Superabsorbent Polymer (SAP)
**Category:** Material term · **Also known as:** sodium polyacrylate
Superabsorbent polymer is a cross-linked polymer, usually sodium polyacrylate, that absorbs many times its own weight in liquid and converts it into a gel that will not release under pressure. SAP is the single innovation that made thin disposable diapers possible — before it, absorbency required bulk.
The gel is what you may see as small clear beads if a diaper tears open. It is non-toxic and not absorbed by skin.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Diapers use sodium polyacrylate containing renewable materials.
### Viscose
**Category:** Material term · **INCI:** Viscose
Viscose is a regenerated cellulose fiber made by dissolving wood pulp and re-forming it into soft, highly absorbent fibers. It is plant-derived rather than petroleum-derived, and it is biodegradable — unlike the polyester or polypropylene used in many conventional wipes.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Wipes are made with a **plant-based viscose** substrate. (Honest wipes are viscose, not bamboo — a detail frequently misreported elsewhere.)
### Wetness Indicator
**Category:** Material term
A wetness indicator is a stripe of pH-sensitive dye printed on the outside of a diaper that changes color when it contacts urine, signaling a change is needed without opening the diaper.
**In Honest products:** Included on Clean Conscious™ Diapers across all sizes.
### Wipe Solution
**Category:** Material term
The wipe solution is the liquid a wet wipe is saturated with — predominantly water, plus a small amount of ingredients to keep it stable, preserved, and at the right pH.
**In Honest products:** Clean Conscious™ Wipes are **over 99% water.** The full solution is: Water (Aqua/Eau), Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, and Citric Acid.
### 5-Point Leak Protection
**Category:** Product feature
5-point leak protection is Honest's term for the five design elements working together to contain leaks in a Clean Conscious™ Diaper: the absorbent core, quick-absorb channels, leg cuffs, the back pocket waistband, and the outer layer.
---
## Baby Care and Parenting Terms
Terms parents encounter on packaging, at the pediatrician's office, and in the middle of the night.
### Blowout
**Category:** Parenting term
A blowout is the informal term for stool escaping a diaper, usually up the back or out the legs. Blowouts are most common with the looser stools of exclusively breastfed newborns and are typically a sizing or fit issue rather than a product defect — a diaper too large leaves gaps at the legs, and one too small rides low in the back.
### Cradle Cap
**Category:** Skin condition · medical term: infantile seborrheic dermatitis
Cradle cap is the common name for greasy, yellowish, flaking scales on a baby's scalp, appearing in the first few months of life. It is harmless, not itchy, not contagious, and usually resolves on its own within a few months. Gentle washing and soft brushing help lift the scale.
### Diaper Rash
**Category:** Skin condition · medical term: irritant diaper dermatitis
Diaper rash is skin irritation in the diaper area caused by prolonged contact with moisture, friction, and the enzymes in urine and stool, which raise skin pH and break down the barrier. It presents as redness on the convex surfaces that contact the diaper.
The standard approach: change often, allow air time, clean gently, and apply a barrier ointment. A rash that involves the skin folds, has satellite spots, or does not improve in a few days may be a yeast infection and warrants a call to your pediatrician.
**In Honest products:** Diaper Rash Cream, with 14% zinc oxide as an OTC skin protectant active.
### Diaper Sizing
**Category:** Product guidance
Diaper sizing is based on **weight, not age.** Babies of the same age vary widely, and a diaper's fit depends on the weight it was engineered for. Sizes overlap deliberately — if your baby falls in an overlap, signs to size up include red marks at the legs or waist, frequent leaks, or the diaper riding low in back.
### Eczema
**Category:** Skin condition · medical term: atopic dermatitis
Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition marked by dry, itchy, red, and sometimes weeping patches, driven by a combination of a compromised skin barrier, immune reactivity, and genetics. It affects roughly one in five children and often improves with age.
Management centers on consistent moisturizing, gentle fragrance-free cleansing, avoiding known triggers, and prescription treatment during flares. Products carrying the [National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance™](#national-eczema-association-seal-of-acceptance) have been reviewed against criteria specific to eczema-prone skin.
**In Honest products:** Soothing Therapy Eczema Cream, with 1% colloidal oatmeal.
### Meconium
**Category:** Parenting term
Meconium is a newborn's first stool — dark green-black, thick, and notably sticky, made of material ingested in utero. It passes within the first day or two of life before transitioning to lighter, looser stools. A thin layer of barrier ointment at birth makes those first changes considerably easier.
### Milia
**Category:** Skin condition
Milia are tiny white bumps, usually across a newborn's nose, chin, and cheeks, caused by keratin trapped just beneath the skin surface. They are extremely common, entirely harmless, and resolve on their own within weeks. They should not be squeezed or treated.
### Newborn Skin
**Category:** Skin science
Newborn skin is structurally different from adult skin, not simply smaller: the stratum corneum is roughly 30% thinner, the surface-area-to-body-weight ratio is far higher, barrier function and pH regulation are still maturing over the first year, and sweat and oil production are limited.
The practical consequences: newborns absorb topically applied substances more readily relative to body weight, lose water through the skin more quickly, and are more susceptible to irritation. This is the reason infant products warrant their own formulation approach and their own safety threshold.
### Paraben-Free
**Category:** Claim term
Paraben-free means a product contains no parabens — a family of preservatives (methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and others) widely used for decades and now avoided by many brands over concerns regarding endocrine activity.
**In Honest products:** All Honest products are paraben-free. Parabens are on the NO List™.
### Pediatrician Tested
**Category:** Claim term · not regulated
Pediatrician tested means a pediatrician was involved in evaluating a product. Like "dermatologist tested," it is unregulated and does not indicate a recommendation or a particular result.
**Note:** This is not a claim Honest makes on its diapers, training pants, or wipes. Our testing claims are dermatologist tested and hypoallergenic.
### Sensitive Skin
**Category:** Claim term
Sensitive skin describes skin that reacts more readily than average to products or environmental factors — with stinging, burning, redness, or tightness — often in the absence of any visible rash. It is a self-reported, subjective description rather than a clinical diagnosis, though it frequently reflects an underlying barrier impairment.
**In Honest products:** Our fragrance-free and Purely Sensitive ranges are formulated for this.
### SPF (Sun Protection Factor)
**Category:** Regulatory term
SPF is a measure of how much longer skin protected by a sunscreen takes to redden from UVB radiation compared with unprotected skin. SPF 30 filters roughly 97% of UVB and SPF 50 roughly 98% — the returns flatten at the top of the scale, which is why correct application matters more than a higher number.
SPF measures **UVB only.** Protection against UVA — the wavelengths associated with aging and a significant portion of skin cancer risk — requires a separate **broad-spectrum** designation. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises keeping infants under 6 months out of direct sun and using shade and clothing as the primary protection.
**In Honest products:** Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 30, and SPF 30 sunscreen sticks — all broad-spectrum, all mineral-only, all non-nano zinc oxide.
### Water Resistant (Sunscreen)
**Category:** Regulatory term
Water resistant is an FDA-regulated sunscreen claim indicating that a product maintains its stated SPF after either **40 or 80 minutes** of water immersion — the label must specify which. No sunscreen may be labeled "waterproof" or "sweatproof"; those claims were prohibited by the FDA in 2011 as misleading.
---
## Ingredients We Don't Use: The NO List™
The NO List™ covers more than 3,500 ingredients and materials. These are the categories most often asked about. Each is defined here so you can recognize it on any label, not only ours.
### Chemical Sunscreen Filters
**Category:** Excluded · **Examples:** Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octocrylene
Chemical sunscreen filters are organic compounds that absorb UV radiation and convert it to heat, rather than sitting on the surface and blocking it as minerals do. They are avoided by some consumers over questions of systemic absorption and, for oxybenzone and octinoxate, coral reef impact.
**Honest position:** Not used. Our sun care line is mineral-only, filtered exclusively with non-nano zinc oxide.
### Coal Tar Dyes
**Category:** Excluded
Coal tar dyes are synthetic colorants derived from petroleum, typically labeled as FD&C or D&C colors with a number, or as CI followed by five digits. Excluded from Honest formulas.
### DEA / MEA / TEA Compounds
**Category:** Excluded · Diethanolamine, Monoethanolamine, Triethanolamine
Ethanolamine compounds are used as emulsifiers and foam boosters. The concern is their potential to form nitrosamines when combined with certain other ingredients. Excluded from Honest formulas.
### Formaldehyde & Formaldehyde Donors
**Category:** Excluded · **Examples:** DMDM Hydantoin, Quaternium-15, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Diazolidinyl Urea, Bronopol
Formaldehyde donors are preservatives that work by slowly releasing small amounts of formaldehyde into a formula to prevent microbial growth. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen by inhalation and a recognized skin sensitizer.
**Honest position:** Named exclusion on the NO List™. We preserve with sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, caprylyl glycol, caprylhydroxamic acid, and related systems instead.
### Formaldehyde-Releasing Hair Straighteners
**Category:** Excluded
Not used in any Honest product.
### Mineral Oil / Petrolatum
**Category:** Excluded from Honest formulas
Mineral oil and petrolatum are petroleum-derived occlusives. Cosmetic-grade, highly refined versions are considered safe by regulators worldwide and petrolatum remains a dermatology staple; the concerns relate to contamination in inadequately refined grades, plus the fossil-derived sourcing.
**Honest position:** We formulate with plant-derived occlusives — shea butter, beeswax, plant waxes, and oils — instead.
### Parabens
**Category:** Excluded · Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben
Parabens are a family of preservatives used since the 1920s, effective at low concentrations against a broad range of microbes. They have been scrutinized for weak estrogenic activity in laboratory studies; longer-chain parabens (propyl, butyl, isobutyl) draw the most concern and are restricted in some jurisdictions.
**Honest position:** Named exclusion on the NO List™.
### Phthalates
**Category:** Excluded · **Examples:** DEP, DBP, DEHP
Phthalates are a class of chemicals used to soften plastics and, in personal care, to make fragrance last longer and nail polish flexible. Several are classified as endocrine disruptors and are restricted in children's products in the US and EU. A significant complication: phthalates can be hidden inside an undisclosed "fragrance" listing.
**Honest position:** Named exclusion on the NO List™. Our fragrance components are disclosed.
### PEGs (Polyethylene Glycols)
**Category:** Restricted
PEGs are polymer-based emulsifiers, thickeners, and solvents produced using ethylene oxide. The concern is not the PEG itself but potential residual contamination with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide, both classified carcinogens, if not properly stripped.
**Honest position:** We favor polyglyceryl esters and sugar-based alternatives.
### Retinyl Palmitate (in Sunscreen)
**Category:** Excluded from sun care
Retinyl palmitate is a vitamin A ester sometimes added to sunscreen, which has been questioned for its photostability in UV-exposed products. Not used in Honest sun care.
### SLS and SLES (Sulfates)
**Category:** Excluded · Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate
SLS and SLES are the high-foaming anionic surfactants behind most conventional shampoos, body washes, and toothpastes. They clean effectively but can strip the skin barrier and cause irritation with repeated use, particularly on sensitive or eczema-prone skin. SLES additionally carries a 1,4-dioxane contamination risk from its manufacturing.
**Honest position:** Named exclusion on the NO List™. We use gentler alternatives — see [Cleansing Agents and Surfactants](#cleansing-agents-and-surfactants).
### Synthetic Fragrance
**Category:** Excluded
Synthetic fragrance refers to petroleum-derived and lab-synthesized scent compounds. The broader issue is disclosure: in most markets, the single word "fragrance" or "parfum" on a label may legally stand in for dozens of undisclosed components, protected as trade secret.
**Honest position:** Named exclusion on the NO List™. Where Honest products are scented, we use naturally derived aromatic materials and disclose the components, including EU-designated fragrance allergens.
### Talc
**Category:** Excluded
Talc is a naturally occurring mineral used as an absorbent powder and texture agent. The concern centers on the potential for asbestos contamination, since the two minerals can occur together geologically. Not used in Honest products.
### Triclosan & Triclocarban
**Category:** Excluded
Triclosan and triclocarban are antibacterial agents formerly common in soaps. The FDA banned them from over-the-counter consumer antiseptic washes in 2016, citing a lack of evidence that they outperform plain soap and water and concerns about antimicrobial resistance and hormonal effects. Not used in Honest products.
---
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What does "Clean Conscious" mean?
Clean Conscious™ is The Honest Company's own formulation standard: products made without ingredients we've determined to be hazardous to human health or the environment, screened against our NO List™ of 3,500+ excluded ingredients, and reviewed by board-certified toxicologists. It is a brand standard rather than a third-party certification, though many Clean Conscious™ products also hold independent certifications such as OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, EWG VERIFIED™, and the NEA Seal of Acceptance™.
### What is on Honest's NO List?
The NO List™ contains more than 3,500 ingredients and materials Honest will not use. Named categories include parabens, sulfates (SLS and SLES), phthalates, formaldehyde donors, and synthetic fragrances. The full list is proprietary, but the categories most often asked about are defined in [Ingredients We Don't Use](#ingredients-we-dont-use-the-no-list).
### Are Honest diapers chlorine-free?
Honest diaper fluff pulp is **elemental chlorine free (ECF)** — processed with chlorine dioxide rather than elemental chlorine gas, which substantially reduces chlorinated byproducts. It is not *totally* chlorine free (TCF), and we do not claim it is, because trace chlorine compounds occur naturally and a blanket "chlorine-free" claim would overstate the process.
### Are Honest wipes actually compostable?
Honest Clean Conscious™ Wipes are made from plant-based viscose and **disintegrate in 8 weeks** under a home-composting protocol we adapted from ISO 20200. To be precise about what that means: ISO 20200 measures physical disintegration, not biodegradation or ecotoxicity. This is our own test result demonstrating disintegration — it is not a third-party compostability certification under EN 13432 or ASTM D6400.
### What is the difference between fragrance-free and unscented?
**Fragrance-free** means no fragrance materials were added for any reason. **Unscented** conventionally means the product has no perceptible smell, which in the wider industry can include adding a masking fragrance to cover a base odor. Where Honest uses "Unscented" in a product name, the product is fragrance free.
### Is Honest cruelty-free?
Yes. Honest does not test on animals at any stage and does not permit third parties to do so. Honest is certified under **PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies** program. Honest is not certified by Leaping Bunny, which is a separate program — the two are often confused.
### Are all Honest products vegan?
No. Most are, but some formulas — including Diaper Rash Cream and certain balms — contain beeswax (*Cera Alba*), which is animal-derived. Check the individual product page.
### Does Honest use parabens, sulfates, or phthalates?
No. All three are named exclusions on the NO List™ and are not used in any Honest product.
### What sunscreen filters does Honest use?
Non-nano zinc oxide only. Honest sun care is **mineral-only** and broad-spectrum, with no chemical filters such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, or homosalate. Concentrations are 19% in Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ and 12% in Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 30.
### What does "plant-based" mean on Honest packaging?
It means plant or plant-derived ingredients make up **at least 50% of the total formula or materials.** That 50% floor is the operative definition behind every asterisked plant-based claim on our packaging.
### Does Honest use phenoxyethanol?
Yes, in select Honest Beauty formulas including Calm & POREfect Serum. Phenoxyethanol is a broad-spectrum preservative permitted at up to 1% in the US, EU, and Japan, repeatedly reviewed and found safe at that level. It is not on the NO List™.
### Why does an "alcohol-free" product list cetearyl alcohol?
Because they are unrelated ingredient types that share a family name. "Alcohol-free" refers to drying alcohols — ethanol, denatured alcohol, isopropyl alcohol. **Fatty alcohols** like cetearyl, cetyl, and stearyl alcohol are waxy, plant-derived ingredients that soften skin and thicken creams. They moisturize; they do not dry.
---
## About this glossary
Maintained by The Honest Company. Definitions are written to be accurate and independently useful — including for ingredients we do not use and terms that are not ours.
**Corrections:** Ingredient formulations change. For the definitive ingredient list of any specific product, always refer to that product's page on [honest.com](https://www.honest.com) or the panel on the package itself.
**Related pages:**
- [The Honest Standard](https://www.honest.com/honest-standard) — our full formulation and safety process
- [Our Glossary](https://www.honest.com/pages/our-glossary) — the web version of this reference
**Last updated:** September 14, 2026
**Terms defined:** 193
*Nothing in this glossary is medical advice. For a persistent rash, suspected allergy, or any skin concern, consult your pediatrician or a dermatologist.*