Ingredient Glossary

Clean beauty starts with good-for-you ingredients.

At VOESH, we’re committed to the highest health and safety standards. We’ve excluded 1680+ EU-banned ingredients, plus an additional 400 ingredients that are known to be toxic, carcinogenic, or irritants. 

We use all of the good and none of the bad. No fillers, no trade-offs. This is how we define clean. Learn more about what you’re putting on your skin and how to make clean and conscious choices.

GOOD
BAD

GOOD

These potent, skin-loving ingredients are safe and effective and used in our skincare products to provide endless benefits.

✔ Organic Olive Oilminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
All

Description:
EU Eco Certified Virgin Organic Olive Oil

Origin Country:
Greece

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Deeply hydrates
• Soothes dry, irritated skin 
• Gently exfoliates 
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines

Function:
• Emollient
• Antioxidant

Exact Ingredient Names:
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil

✔ Sea Saltminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
All Pedi in a Box

Description:
BFA Organic Certified Sea Salt from the ocean

Origin Country:
Australia

Source:

Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Deeply cleanses pores
• Helps skin retain moisture
• Restores skin’s natural pH

Function:
Exfoliant

Exact Ingredient Names:
Sea Salt, Sodium Chloride

✔ Pure Sugarminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• All Pedi in a Box
• All Mani in a Box
• All Sugar Scrub + Bubble Wash

Description:
Sugar has hydrating properties for skin

Origin Country:
Korea

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Gently exfoliates
• Helps skin retain moisture
• Rejuvenates skin by removing dirt & impurities

Function:
• Humectant
• Exfoliant

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Sugar
• Sucrose

✔ Pure Mudminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• All Pedi in a Box
• All Mani in a Box

Description:
Bentonite is a type of natural clay that is most famously used as an oil-absorbing agent in facial masks and other cosmetics.

Origin Country:

USA

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Absorbs dirt & oil
• Minimizes the appearance of large pores
• Removes dead skin cells

Function:
• Absorbent
• Occlusive/Opacifying Agent
• Texture Enhancer

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Bentonite

✔ Plant-Based Glycerinminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
All

Description:
Glycerin, also called glycerol, has moisturizing, emollient and protective properties.

Origin Country:
Malaysia

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Intensely hydrates to relieve dryness
• Soothes skin irritation
• Softens skin
• Refreshes skin’s surface

Function:

• Hydration and Protection
• Emollient

Exact Ingredient Names:
Glycerin

✔ Vegan Collagenminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
All Gloves and Socks

Description:
Natto gum moisturizes skin by: capturing and retaining moisture, by enhancing and extending critical hyaluronic acid functionalities, by increasing the levels of natural moisturizing factors (NMFs), by contributing to maintaining and improving the structural integrity of the skin.

Origin Country:
Korea

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Potent antioxiidant
• Retains moisture

Function:
• Antioxidant

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Natto Gum
• Collagen Extract

✔ Sweet Almond Oilminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• All Pedi in a Box
• All Mani in a Box

Description:
Sweet almond oil contains many nutrients that are good for the skin, including vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and antioxidants. Using almond oil may help soothe and hydrate your skin and hair.

Origin Country:
Spain

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Smoothes & softens skin 
• Minimizes the appearance of fine lines
• Protects skin from UV rays

Function:
• Emollient

Exact Ingredient Names:

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

✔ Argan Oilminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
Collagen Gloves and Socks

Description:
Argan oil is a vegetable oil used in cosmetics for its nourishing and antioxidant properties. Argan oil is naturally rich in vitamin E and fatty acids (omega 6 and 9).

Origin Country:
Belgium

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Nourishes and strengthens skin barrier
• Soothes skin irritation
• Protects against environmental stressors

Function:
• Emollient
• Antioxidant

Exact Ingredient Names:
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

✔ Hemp Seed Oilminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• Collagen Gloves and Socks
• Pedi in a Box Canabis Sativa

Description:

Hemp seed oil is used as an emollient and to supply skin with omega fatty acids it needs to replenish itself and strengthen its surface against moisture loss.

Origin Country:
England

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Deeply moisturizes dry skin
• Prevents free radical damage
• Soothes skin irritation

Function:
• Emollient

Exact Ingredient Names:
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil

✔ Avocado Oil/Extractminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• Hand and Body Lotion
• Vitamin C Shower Filter
• Collagen Gloves (Peppermint)

Description:
Avocado oil is a vegetable oil used in cosmetics for its moisturizing and antioxidant properties. It is rich in fatty acids such as oleic acid (up to 66%) and palmitic acid (12 to 24%). It also contains vitamins A, E and D.

Origin Country:
England

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Moisturizes & softens dry skin
• Nourishes hair & boosts shine
• Promotes skin healing

Function:
• Moisturizing
• Antioxidant

Exact Ingredient Names:
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil

✔ Lavender Extractminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• All Lavender Products
• Gloves and Socks (not all)

Description:
Lavender extract is known for its fragrance and many benefits for skin. It relieves stress, is relaxing and soothing, and calms the skin

Origin Country:
Korea

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Soothes & calms irritated skin
• Protects against free radicals & bacteria
• Reduces appearance of fine lines

Function:
• Hydration
• Fragrance

Exact Ingredient Names:
Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract

✔ Cica Leaf Extractminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• Cooling Therapy Knee High Socks

Description:

Cica Extract mproves skin scratches, burns, helps heal hypertrophic wounds, enhances collagen, acts as an anti-inflammatory agent for conditions like eczema, and more! Tigers even roll around in Cica to help heal their wounds in the wild.

Origin Country:

Korea

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Boosts collagen production
• Assists in wound healing
• Protects skin from UV rays

Function:
• Hydration

Exact Ingredient Names:
Centella Asiatica Extract

✔ Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Extractminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• All Green tea Products

Description:

Green tea is rich in antioxidants, specifically catechin and polyphenol, which help neutralize free radicals that accelerate the skin’s aging process. It also has excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Origin Country:
Korea

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Eliminates excess sebum & deeply moisturizes skin
• Brightens & evens skin tone
• Reduces skin irritation

Function:
• Antioxidant
• Soothing

Exact Ingredient Names:
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

✔ Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Extractminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• All Jasmine Products

Description:
Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower/Leaf Extract is known to nourish skin/ scalp and hair, increase the water content of the skin and helps to keep it smooth and in good condition by strengthening the skin barrier.

Origin Country:
Korea

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Protects skin from environmental stressors
• Strengthens skin barrier
• Moisturizes dry skin

Function:
• Antioxidant
• Fragrance

Exact Ingredient Names:
Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract

✔ Watermelon Extract (Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract)minus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• Pedi in a Box Watermelon Burst
• Vegan Hand Creme Watermelon Burst

Description:
Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) fruit extract is a rich source of antioxidants, including the carotenoid pigment lycopene, beta-carotene and lutein. As such, it can help defend skin from environmental stressors and the visible effects of sun damage. Watermelon also contains beneficial vitamins A, B, C, and E

Origin Country:
Korea

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Removes dirt & impurities
• Hydrates skin to reduce dryness
• Produces gentle foaming action

Function:
• Antioxidant

Exact Ingredient Names:
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract

✔ Natural Surfactantminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• Sugar Scrub + Bubble Wash

Description:
These are cleansing agents that are claimed to be so gentle on the skin that they hardly impact the skin barrier. They also create a rich, creamy foam with vegetable fatty acids that are readily biodegradable.

Origin Country:
Japan

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Removes dirt & impurities
• Hydrates skin to reduce dryness
• Produces gentle foaming action

Function:
• Surfactant

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
• Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

✔ Vegan Probiotics (Proprietary)minus icon plus icon

Products Included:
All Shower & Empower products

Description:
Derived from pickled (fermented) cabbage. UK Vegan-certified proprietary ingredient which has been shown to improve skin barrier function, allowing the skin to better protect itself from daily stressors.

Origin Country:
Korea

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Strengthen & regenerate skin barrier
• Restore skin’s moisture
• Reduce bad bacteria to keep skin healthy

Function:
• Antioxidant

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Lactobacillus Ferment

✔ Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)minus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• All Vitamin C Shower Filters
• Pedi in a Box Vitamin Recharge, Tangerine Glow
• Mani in a Box Vitamin Recharge

Description:

Ascorbic acid - also known as L-ascorbic acid - has the most research of any form of vitamin C when it comes to skin and, in fact, is the most abundant naturally occurring antioxidant in our skin. Concentrations between 5-20% can improve the appearance of signs of aging, including discoloration, wrinkles, and loss of firmness due to sun damage.

Origin Country:
England, Germany, China

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines
• Protects against sun damage
• Brightens skin tone

Function:
• Antioxidant
• pH Adjuster/Stabilizer

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Ascorbic Acid
• Vitamin C

✔ Botanical Oil Blend Jojoba seed oil, Macadamia Oil, Sweet Almond Oilminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• All Sugar Scrub + Bubble Wash

Description:
Jojoba oil is actually a wax ester, making it a very stable oil. It is a great oil for balancing excess oil and provides moisturizing properties to the skin.

Macadamia Oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and an excellent source of Vitamin E, making it easy for your skin to absorb without feeling greasy. These fatty acids nourish the skin, help combat dry skin and lock in moisture. It mimics your skin's natural oils, allowing you to maintain your natural glow.

Sweet Almond Oil is rich in Vitamin E. It keeps your skin cells healthy, protects your skin from UV radiation damage, and helps your skin look smooth, soft, and free of fine lines. The fatty acids help your skin retain moisture and can heal chapped and irritated skin. Plus, vitamin A can help reduce acne.

Origin Country:
Israel, Netherland, Spain

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Protects skin from UV radiation damage
• Deeply nourishes dry skin
• Minimizes the appearance of fine lines

Function:
• Antioxidant
• Emollient

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
• Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
• Purunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

✔ Oatmeal Powderminus icon plus icon

Products Included:
• All Vitamin C Shower Filters

Description:
It moisturizes, protects, exfoliates, and cleanses your skin. Oatmeal also helps boost collagen production, improves your skin complexion, and reduces skin inflammation.

Origin Country:
Korea

Source:
Natural

Skin Benefits:
• Boosts collagen production
• Soothes itchy or irritated skin
• Cleanses & gently exfoliates skin

Function:
• Antioxidant
• Exfoliant

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Colloidal Oatmeal

BAD

Watch out for these harmful ingredients that are linked to many health or environmental issues. That’s why you’ll never see them in our formulas.

✖ Any Animal-By or Animal-Derived Ingredientsminus icon plus icon

Description:
A substance of animal origin used to manufacture a cosmetic product. They are primarily derived from by-products of cosmetic production and include extractions from certain animal material, and include milked animal fluids (e.g., venoms) and may even be human-derived.

Source:
Natural

Concerns:
• Not sustainable for environment
• Skin Irritation (some)

Function:
Skin conditioning

Exact Ingredient Names:
There are a lot: Lanoline, Keratin, Animal-Derived Collagens, Bees Wax, Carmine or Cochineal

✖ Parabensminus icon plus icon

Description:
Help products last longer by preventing the growth of fungi, bacteria, yeast and mold that could cause products to spoil. It is a highly effective and relatively inexpensive option to enhance the shelf life and safety of the products.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Hormone Disruption
• Cancer
• Skin irritation

Function:
Preservative

Exact Ingredient Names
• Methylparaben
• Polyparaben
• Butylparaben
• Isobutylparaben
• Isopropylparaben
• potassium butylparaben
• potassium propylparaben

✖ Phthalatesminus icon plus icon

PHTHALATES (DBP, DEHP, DEP & others)

Description:
Phthalates are plasticizing chemicals that make plastics more flexible.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Hormone Disruption
• Cancer
• Toxic to Environment
• Toxic to Human Body

Function:
• Plasticizer
• Solubilizer
• Denaturant

Exact Ingredient Names:
Some appear on product ingredient labels, but many may remain undisclosed, hiding under the term “fragrance.”

✖ Sodium Laureth Sulfate & Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLES & SLS)minus icon plus icon

Description:
SLES & SLS are Surfactants/cleansing agents that produce suds, bubbles and foams.

Source:
Synthetic or Natural

Concerns:
• Skin & Eye Irritation
• Cancer
• Allergies/Sensitization

Function:
• Surfactant

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Ceteareth-20
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
• Ammonium Laureth Sulfate

✖ Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA)minus icon plus icon

Description:
Ethanolamines are surfactants and pH adjusters in the product. They help to enhance the foaming properties and may also help to thicken the product.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Hormone Disruption
• Cancer
• Brain Develpment (of babies)
• Allergies / Sensitation

Function:
• Surfactant

Exact Ingredient Names:
• MEA
• DEA
• TEA

✖ Drying Alcohol (Ethyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol and others)minus icon plus icon

Description:
Drying alcohols may disrupt your skin's own moisture barrier. They ultimately work as quick-drying liquids that produce a weightless, greaseless, and clean feel on your skin with their volatile and low molecular weight.

Source:

Natural or Synthetic

Concerns:
• Disrupt skin's barrier
• Dry out skin's own moisure
• Irritation
• Allergies / Sensitization

Function:
• Texture enhancer
• Solubilizer

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Isopropyl Alcohol
• SD alcohol
• Denatured alcohol
• Ethanol/Ethyl alcohol
• Methanol/Methyl alcohol
• Propanol/Propyl alcohol
• C alcohol
• Methylated spirit
• Denatured rectified spirit

✖ Triclosan & Triclocarbanminus icon plus icon

Description:
Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent that is an active ingredient present in some cosmetics and personal care products, including toothpaste, over-the-counter (OTC) antiseptic products, antibacterial soaps, detergents, toys, and skincare. It is similar in its uses and mechanism of action to triclocarban.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Hormone Disruption
• Cancer
• Skin Eye & Lung Irritation
• Toxic to Environment
• Toxic to Human Body

Function:
Preservative

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Triclosan
• Triclocarban
• Benzalkonium Chloride

✖ Formaldehyde & Formaldehyde Releaserminus icon plus icon

Description:
Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRPs) are used in many personal care products as preservatives, particularly in shampoos, liquid baby soaps, nail polish, hair gel, hair-smoothing products and color.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Cancer
• Skin, Eye & Lung Irritation
• Allergies / Sensitization

Function:
Preservative

Exact Ingredient Names:

• 5-Bromo-5-Nitro-1,3-Dioxane
• Formaldehyde
• Glyoxal
• DMDM hydantoin
• Imidazolidinyl urea
• Diazolidinyl urea
• Quaternium 15
• Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
• Toluenesulfonamide Formaldehyde
• Polyoxymethylene urea
• Methenamine
• Methanediol
• Tosylamide / formaldehyde resin
•2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3 diol (Bronopol)

✖ Chemical UV Filtersminus icon plus icon

Description:
UV Filters are used to absorb or reflect the UV rays that are contained in sunlight or in artificial light. UV Filters can be used to protect the skin from the harmful effects of UV light (skin cancer and photodamage and wrinkling). UV Filters can also be used to protect products and their ingredients, as well as packaging. Recent research suggests that some of these substances might interfere with endocrine systems.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Cancer
• Harmful to aquatic life
• Photoallergy

Function
Chemical Sunscreen agent

Exact Ingredient Names
• Avobenzone
• Oxybenzone
• Octinoxate
• Octocrylene

✖ Petrolatum and Paraffin (Petroleum Derived Mineral Oil)minus icon plus icon

Description:
Petrolatum is a semisolid mixture derived from processed petroleum. Mineral Oil, Paraffin Wax, Liquid Paraffin, and several other ingredients are also petroleum distillation byproducts. The concerns with these ingredients are unsustainable sourcing and possible PAH contamination. PAHs (which stands for Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons) are linked to several illnesses.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Toxic to Environment
• Skin breakouts

Function:
• Conditioning
• Emulsifier

Exact Ingredient Names
• Paraffin
• Paraffinum liquidium
• Petrolatum
• Cera microcristallina
• Microcrystalline wax
• Ozokerite

✖ Tolueneminus icon plus icon

Description:
Toluene is a solvent that helps to dissolve substances to create a uniform formulation. Often found in nail care.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Skin irritant
• Cancer
• Allergies and Immunotoxicity
• Developmental and Reproductive toxicity

Function:
Solvent

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Toluene

✖ Talcminus icon plus icon

Description:
Talc has many uses in cosmetics and other personal care products. For example, it may be used to absorb moisture, to prevent caking, to make facial makeup opaque, or to improve the feel of a product.

Source:
Natural sources (in some cases synthetic)

Concerns:
• Respiratory Toxicity
• Cancer

Function:
• Absorbent
• Texture Enhancer
• Opacifying

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Talc

✖ Hydroquinoneminus icon plus icon

Description:
Typically used for skin lightening reasons to bleach the skin by decreasing the number of melanocytes present.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Skin Irritant
• Skin Discoloration

Function:
Bleach

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Hydroquinone
• Benzene-1,4-diol

✖ Benzalkonium Chlorideminus icon plus icon

Description:
Benzalkonium Chloride is a type of preservative that is used to prevent the growth of reproduction of microorganisms.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Severe Skin
• Eye and Respiratory Irritation
• Allergies / Sensitization

Function:
• Conditioning
• Antistatic (in hair products)
• Preservative

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Benzalkonium Chloride

✖ Other Synthetic Surfactantminus icon plus icon

Description:
These harsh surfactants can strip your skin of its natural moisture and hasten your skin's aging process.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Skin Irritant
• Cancer

Function:
Surfactant

Exact Ingredient Names:
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
• Sodium Lauroyl Isoethionate
• Sodium Lauroyl Taurate
• Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isoethionate
• Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
• Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate

✖ Methylisothiazolinone & Methylchloroisothiazolinoneminus icon plus icon

Description:
Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) and Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT) are widely used preservatives found in liquid cosmetic and personal care products. Both chemicals inhibit bacterial growth in cosmetic products on their own, but they are most commonly used as a mixture in products.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Dermatitis
• Neurotoxicity
• Organ System Toxicity

Function:
Preservative

Exact Ingredients:
Methylisothiazolinone (MIT): 2-methyl-4-isothiazoline-3-one, Neolone 950 preservative, MI, OriStar MIT and Microcare MT.Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT): 5-Chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and MCI.

✖ Benzophenoneminus icon plus icon

Description:
Benzophenone is used in personal care products such as lip balm, color cosmetics, foundations, hair spray, skincare products and nail polish to protect the product colors from UV light. It is a common active ingredient for sunscreen and it is widely used in household products, such as sunglasses, food packaging, and laundry detergent to protect their colors from UV light. It’s also used as a fragrance enhancer or to prevent products from losing scents in the presence of UV light.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Cancer
• Endocrine system disorders
• Developmental & reproductive toxicity
• Irritation
• Allergies / Sensitization
• Toxic to Environment

Function:
UV Filter (To make the product colors last longer)

Exact Ingredient Names:

• Benzophenone
• Benzophenone-2
• Any Benzophenone Related Compounds

✖ Nanoparticlesminus icon plus icon

Description:
Nanoparticles ranging from 10 to 200 nm can penetrate the intact skin and impose inadvertent biological damage. They are easily absorbed into the bloodstream and around the body.

Source:
Synthetic or Natural

Concerns:
• DNA disruption
• Liver damage
• Affects immune system

Function:
• UV protection
• Deeper skin penetration

Exact Ingredient Names:
Anything with nano size (most common nano ingredients being used in cosmetics are Titanium Dioxide and Zinc, but if they are not nano size, they are safe to use).

✖ Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)minus icon plus icon

Description:
BHA and BHT are synthetic antioxidants that are used as preservatives.

Source:
Synthetic

Concerns:
• Hormone Disruption
• Cancer
• Liver, Kidney and Thyroid problems

Function:
Preservative

Exact Ingredient Names:
• BHA
• BHT

ALL

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