A-Z of ingredient functions

Removes dirt to leave surfaces clean or polished through rubbing/ brushing

Helps to absorb fluids like water or oil

Added to a product to improve one or more important properties

Helps bind surfaces to each other

Increases the alkalinity of the product to help in the washing away of dirt.

Helps prevent the removed dirt in washing water from reattaching to a surface

Helps to prevent the formation of lumps in the product.

Helps to relieve or control the symptoms of dandruff

Prevents excessive foam or bubbles forming when a product is used

Helps to reduce the amount of bacteria on a surface or body (part)

Helps to prevent reactions promoted by oxygen in the product, which can cause product spoilage.

Helps to reduce sweating

Helps protect against plaque

Helps control sebum production

Helps to make you hair, skin, clothes, kitchen ware or hard surfaces feel better by reducing static charge

Creates a tighter skin or scalp feeling

Helps materials to bind or stick together

Boosts the performance of bleach to make it more effective at low temperatures 

Becomes a bleaching substance during washing

Ingredients from herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, leaves or seeds

Maintains the right acidity / alkalinity balance of a product

Reduces water hardness, makes cleaning products more effective

Diluant. Dilutes solids or liquids to allow for more accurate dosing

Helps to keep the body surface clean

Colours the product, your hair or skin

Provides a cool and fresh sensation

Prevents corrosion of packaging

Changes the taste of a product to prevent ingestion. Typically used in alcohol-containing products.

Helps to reduce or mask unpleasant body odours

Prevents colour rinsed out from clothes into wash water being deposited on to your other clothes during the wash

Softens and smooths the skin

Helps two or more liquids, that don't usually combine to form a single solution; often referred to as an 'emulsion'

Prevents a mixture from separating and helping to increase a product's shelf life

Boosts the cleaning properties of a product to help remove specific stains at lower temperatures e.g. fats, egg, blood.

Makes an enzyme last longer in liquid detergent

Helps a product dry faster

Helps to remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin

Helps to soften and improve the feel of a fabric

Lubricates the fibres of fabrics to gives benefits such as helping to make ironing easier.

Helps provide a smooth, consistent coverage when applied

Helps to maintain the hold of your hair style

Improves the taste of oral or lip care products, such as tooth paste or lip balm

Provides a distinctive, pleasant smell

Gives the consistency of a gel to a liquid

Helps you to style or straighten your hair

Helps to improve the gloss, sheen and texture of your hair

Colours hair

Helps to retain water in a product, in hair or the top layers of skin

Allows cleaning agents to be uniformly dispersed within a product.

Improves the cosmetic characteristics of the nail

Makes the product appear more opaque or pearly

Provides additional brightness to the surface to which product is applied.

Helps to clean, protect or remove/cover an unpleasant smell in the mouth/teeth/gums

In laundry and household care products stains are removed by oxidation (bleaching).

Helps to give products a shimmery appearance

Makes materials more flexible and resilient

This prolongs the shelf-life of the product, even once it has been opened, protecting it from bacteria, yeasts and moulds

A secondary component/ingredient which is created when making the product

A compressed gas that helps expel product from a can

Controls the acidity / alkalinity balance of products

Changes the nature of another ingredient by adding hydrogen or removing oxygen.

Regenerates the water softener in a machine dishwasher.

Helps prevent impurities from water from causing adverse effects on product performance, appearance, or stability.

Helps to make your skin feel soft, smooth and supple.

Helps to lighten the shade of your skin

Helps to temporarily protect minor cuts, scrapes, burns or skin irritation

Helps a product spread more easily

Makes a softening agent more effective and last longer

Helps an ingredient in the product dissolve better

Dissolves substances or ingredients

Seeks to achieve an even skin surface by decreasing roughness or irregularities

Changes the characteristics of a spray; for example: makes it thicker, thinner or more foam-like

Helps maintain the stability of a product's formulation, appearance and texture

Gives a product form or shape

Helps prevent sunburn.

Changes the look and feel of an object's surface in home care products

An ingredient which helps to clean or remove dirt and oil, creating foam when used with water

Helps keep solids separated and evenly dispersed within a product

Makes products taste sweeter

Helps tablets break up so the product works faster

Darkens the skin without exposure to UV or sunlight

Produces a feeling of well-being on skin and hair

Helps to protect the product formulation from UV rays

Controls the density or thickness of a product