Core ingredients are the foundational ingredients that give a cosmetic formulation its structure, stability, texture, preservation, and overall performance. These include humectants, thickeners, emollients, emulsifiers, preservatives, and pH adjusters.

Active ingredients are typically used for targeted formulation goals, while functional ingredients help support texture, stability, preservation, compatibility, and overall usability. Most successful formulations rely on both working together as a balanced system.

Humectants help attract and retain water within the skin and the formulation. They are commonly used to improve hydration support, skin comfort, spreadability, and overall formulation feel in products such as serums, lotions, and cleansers.

Any formulation containing water requires preservation to help reduce contamination risk and maintain product safety over time. Preservatives support shelf life, formulation stability, and microbial protection throughout normal product use.

Emulsifiers help oil and water remain combined in stable systems such as creams and lotions. They influence texture, consistency, absorption profile, and long-term stability within the formulation.

pH affects ingredient compatibility, preservative effectiveness, viscosity, skin tolerance, and formulation stability. Even well-designed systems can become unstable or perform poorly if pH is not properly controlled.