Cosmetic ingredient dictionary

Definitions with context, not just labels

A dictionary that only says 'preservative' or 'surfactant' doesn't help you decide anything. Clarra pairs each definition with the context that matters: is it EU-restricted, is it on Prop 65, is it an EU-listed allergen, is it animal-derived? And crucially, when an ingredient sounds alarming but has a reassuring regulatory record, we say so — because clarity means correcting fear as well as flagging genuine concerns.

Why Clarra

• Plain-English definition of what each ingredient does.
• Sourced flags for restricted or classified ingredients.
• Notes on animal-derived ingredients for vegan shoppers.
• Corrects common myths with the actual sourced picture.
• Growing library of the ingredients people search most.

How Clarra reads a product

• Search a product by name, or scan its ingredient label — no live 'point at anything' barcode magic promised.
• Clarra parses the INCI ingredient list into plain English.
• Flagged ingredients get their sourced regulatory context; benign ones are marked as generally well tolerated.
• You see the three pillars at a glance and decide for yourself — informational only, not medical or safety advice.

We cite, we don't accuse

Every flag in Clarra points to a named source — the EU Cosmetic Ingredient database, IARC, California Proposition 65, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, or ECHA. We describe an ingredient as 'flagged by' or 'restricted in the EU', never as 'toxic' or 'dangerous', and we never tell you a product causes harm. Sourced context lets you make your own call with the actual facts in front of you.

Hazard is not the same as risk

This is the idea Clarra is built around. A regulatory hazard classification describes what an ingredient could do in principle; risk is whether it actually does at the amount, and in the way, you're exposed. An ingredient can carry a hazard flag and still pose little real-world risk in a finished product used normally — which is why regulators so often set a concentration limit instead of a ban. Clarra shows the flag, names the source, and leaves the judgement to you.

What Clarra reads on every product

• Ingredient flags — how named regulators (EU CosIng, IARC, Prop 65, CIR, ECHA) classify or restrict what's inside, with hazard kept separate from risk.
• Cruelty-free status — shown with positive framing: what a brand states or is certified for, never an accusation.
• Vegan status — flagging animal-derived ingredients like carmine, beeswax and lanolin, and honest about ambiguous-source ones.