Cosmetic Chemistry Vocabulary
- phthalates: Any of various salts or esters of phthalic acid used especially as plasticizers and in solvents
- hypoallergenic: Designed to reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response,as by containing relatively few or no potentially irritating substances
- comedogenic: Tending to clog pores especially by the formation of blackheads
- occlusives: A stop that is unreleased, as the p -sound in stop, or deviously released
- active ingredients: The chemically active part of a chemical compound
- inactive ingredients: The chemically non-active part of a chemical compound
- preservatives: A substance used to preserve foodstuffs, wood, or other materials against decay.
- transepidermal: The measurement of the quantity of water that passes from inside a body (animal or plant) through the epidermal layer (skin) to the surrounding atmosphere via diffusion and evaporation processes.
- hygroscopic: tending to absorb moisture from the air
- solvated: (of a solvent) enter into reversible chemical combination with (a dissolved molecule
- humectant: Retaining or preserving moisture.
- esters: An organic compound made by replacing the hydrogen of an acid by an alkyl or other organic group. Many naturally occurring fats and essential oils are esters of fatty acids
- solvents: The liquid in which a solute is dissolved to form a solution.
- emulsions: A fine dispersion of minute droplets of one liquid in another in which it is not soluble or miscible.
- surfactants: A substance that tends to reduce the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved
- emollients: A preparation that softens the skin
- moisturizers: A lotion or cream used to prevent dryness in the skin.
- waxes: Cover or treat (something) with wax or a similar substance, typically to polish or protect it.
- thickeners: A substance added to a liquid to make it firmer, especially in cooking.