Inactive Ingredient

Inactive ingredients provide support for active drug ingredients in a skin care formula and lend cosmetic benefits. These are indicated on a product’s ingredient list and may also be identified as “other” instead of “inactive”—another way of signaling they are not directly responsible for the pharmacological activity or other direct effects of the formula to the structure or function of skin.\n\nActive ingredients are listed with their concentration and a short description of their function. The inactive ingredients are listed after the active ingredients, typically in descending order of concentration (although there are some exceptions to this rule).\n\nInactive ingredients really aren’t “inactive” per se, as they play a variety of important roles in skin care formulas. They can deliver hydration, antioxidant power, exfoliating abilities, skin-softening, soothing properties, brightening, etc. They also play formulary roles in adjusting the pH, stabilizing the emulsion, emulsifying, adding cleansing properties, intensifying the opacity, or adjusting the viscosity… and so on and so on. Note: Outside of the U.S., definitions of active and inactive ingredients may vary by each country’s regulatory criteria.