“Clean beauty” does not have a regulated definition. In fact, foundation products often include long labels with names only a chemist would understand. Until now.

From coconut alkanes to iron oxides, cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos dissects the ingredients in Ilia’s True Skin Serum foundation and explains how the product gets its color, consistency and “clean beauty” branding.

0:00 Meet Kelly Dobbs, a cosmetic science professor
0:29 Pigmentation in foundations: what are iron oxides?
2:29 Breaking down main solvents and fillers
4:06 The three moisturizing strategies cosmetic chemists use
4:44 Beneficial skincare ingredients in foundations
5:14 Preservatives, stabilizers and emulsifiers

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