The 3 Types of Cosmetic Raw Materials You Need to Know

Cosmetic ingredient lists can be long and overwhelming but nearly every ingredient in a formula serves one of three core purposes. While there’s some overlap and these categories can be further divided, they’re a useful starting point for students and formulators. This way of grouping ingredients was inspired by cladistics in biology which means organizing by shared traits. Understanding these categories is foundational to effective cosmetic formulation, and knowing which is which helps you formulate with intent rather than guesswork.

Let’s cut through the marketing and take a closer look at what these types are, how they function and why they matter.

1. Functional Ingredients

These are the backbone of your formula. They exist to make the product do something. Functional ingredients contribute to the physical performance of the formula, whether that’s cleansing, moisturizing, conditioning, exfoliating or protecting.

Examples:

• Surfactants – for cleansing or emulsifying (e.g., sodium lauryl sulfate, polysorbate 80)

• Emollients – for skin feel and barrier support (e.g., isopropyl myristate, dimethicone)

• Humectants – for hydration (e.g., glycerin, propylene glycol)

• Preservatives – for microbial control (e.g., phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin)

• Film-formers – for hold or wear (e.g., PVP, acrylates copolymer)

Formulators should prioritize these when building the basic structure of the product. If a formuladoesn’t function, nothing else matters.

2. Aesthetic Modifiers

These ingredients don’t alter the product’s primary function but they do impact how the user experiences it. That includes texture, appearance, spreadability, and scent. They also make the formula stable, safe, and usable.

Examples:

• Fragrances – synthetic or essential oil blends

• Colorants – FD&C dyes, iron oxides, or natural pigments

• Opacifiers – like titanium dioxide used to create a creamy look

• Silicones or esters – for glide/slip and afterfeel

• pH adjusters – like citric acid or sodium hydroxide

• Chelating agents – like EDTA to reduce metal ion activity

• Solubilizers – for dispersing oils into water (e.g., PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil)

• Thickeners and rheology modifiers – like carbomer or xanthan gum

Consumers rarely say “this works but feels unpleasant.” Aesthetic modifiers help you create a sensory experience that complements performance. These often go unnoticed in consumer-facing discussions, but they are critical to creating a stable and safe product. A product might have a trendy ingredient, but without the right product feel or pH control, it won’t last on the market.

3. Claims Ingredients

This is where marketing and science often collide. Claims ingredients are typically added in small amounts to support label claims like “made with natural ingredients” or “contains vitamin C.”

Examples:

• Botanical extracts

• Peptides

• Vitamins

Claims ingredients are often present at concentrationstoo low to deliver measurable results and are included to support product positioning and marketing. As a formulator, be skeptical. Ask: Is this doing something functional, or just something marketable?

Why This Framework Matters

When you understand these four categories, you can start analyzing formulas with more clarity. You can also start asking better questions:

• What purpose does this ingredient serve?

• Is it in the formula to function or to market?

• Is this concentration justified?

• What happens if I remove or replace it?

This kind of thinking separates formulators from hobbyists and is the type of foundational knowledge that turns good formulas into intentional, performance-driven ones.