Made Without List
Ulta Beauty’s “Made Without List” is designed to provide transparency to help you make informed beauty and personal care product choices. Brands participating in the Clean Ingredients pillar of Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty™ are formulating their hair, skin, makeup, body and fragrance products, without the ingredients noted within the “Made Without List”.
Our approach to creating this list is to provide information on ingredients that may have adverse health and/or environmental impacts. We also included ingredients that are either not commonly formulated within beauty and personal care products or could appear because of the manufacturing process.
We are committed to evolving our “Made Without List” through listening to and learning from sources such as industry experts and our brand partners and expect to make informed changes to the list over time.
The “Made Without List” includes:
Ethyl methacrylate; Methyl methacrylate
Primarily used as adhesives in eyelash products, and as a barrier former/bonding agent in nail polish.
Acetaldehyde
Used as a fragrance ingredient in fragrances and cosmetic products.
Acetonitrile
Used to help dissolve chemicals in nail products and perfumes.
Alkylphenols (Octylphenols, nonylphenols) and Alkylphenol Ethoxylates
Used in cosmetics products as a foaming agent and can be found in hair products, toothpaste, soaps, makeup remover, cleansers, and lotions.
Aluminum powder
Used as a colorant in many cosmetics. Allowed in cosmetics except loose powder and lip products.
Aluminum salts and complexes in antiperspirants
Used to block pores in the skin to prevent sweat.
Benzophenone, Benzophenone-1, Benzophenone-2
Used to prevent color from fading.
Benzophenone-3 (Oxybenzone)
Used as a sun protectant in sunscreens and other beauty products by absorbing UV light.
Benzyl Alcohol
Used as a preservative often found in fragrances and toners. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.
Black 3
Used as a colorant often in eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara.
Butoxyethanol
Used to help dissolve chemicals in nail products.
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Antioxidant used to stabilize fragrances and cosmetics. Not allowed for use in the EU and US.
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Antioxidant used to stabilize fragrances and cosmetics. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.
Carbon Black (low purity)
Previously used in cosmetics and hair dyes. The FDA has prohibited use of this colorant in hair dyes and other cosmetics in this form. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.
Cyclotetrasiloxane (D4)
A type of silicone used in cosmetics, deodorant, defoamers, lubricants and soaps.
DEA complexes/derivatives/condensates (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), TEA (Triethanolamine)
DEA was commonly used in body washes or other cleaning agents and is no longer common due to safety concerns. MEA was primarily used in hair dyes and is no longer common. TEA is found in a variety of beauty and personal care products and is used as a pH modifier. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.
Dioxin
Contaminant found in some raw materials used in personal care products. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.
Ethoxylated ingredients
Used in cosmetics as foaming agents and emulsifiers. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.
Formaldehyde
Helps adhere color to nail enamel and was used as a preservative in water-based products (e.g. hair products) and is no longer allowed in cosmetics.
Formaldehyde-releasing agents (formaldehyde donors)
Used in cosmetics, hair products, shampoos and body washes as a preservative.
Fragrances
Used in a variety of personal care and cosmetic products. Fragrances must meet International Fragrance Association standards, which ban, limit or set criteria for the use of certain ingredients, based on scientific evidence and consumer insights.
Heavy metals
Contaminant found in some raw materials used in personal care products. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.
Hydroquinone
Used to whiten or lighten skin. Banned in the U.S.
Latex
Commonly used in eyelash adhesives. Some individuals have sensitivity to Latex.
Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI), Methylisothiazolinone (MIT)
Used as preservative in a variety of personal care products. Not allowed for use in the EU and Canada.
Mineral oil, Paraffin, Petrolatum (that do not meet USP grade)
Made from the breakdown of crude oil in the petrochemical refining process and found in a variety of personal care products. We require United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) grade to ensure the highest quality is used to prevent contaminants.
Nanomaterials
Used in sprays or loose powders. Nanomaterials are not to be used in applications that may lead to exposure by inhalation. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.
Octinoxate
Used as a sun protectant in sunscreens.
Parabens
Used as preservatives in a variety of personal care and cosmetic products.
Perfluorinated compounds (PTFE, PFAS, PFOA, PFOS)
Used as film formers in cosmetics. They have been banned in some U.S. states so cosmetic use is limited.
Phenylenediamine, phenylenediamine salts & phenylenediamine derivatives
Used as hair dyeing agents.
Phthalates
Used to dissolve other chemicals in nail enamel and fragrances.
Resorcinol
Used in anti-acne products and in hair dyes.
Retinol and esters
Used in skin creams and serums and is a vitamin A derivative. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
Used in cosmetics products as a foaming agent and can be found in hair products, toothpaste, soaps, makeup remover, cleansers, and lotions.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Used in cosmetics products as a foaming agent and can be found in hair products, toothpaste, soaps, makeup remover, cleansers, and lotions.
Styrene & styrene oxide
Used as a solvent and is not used is cosmetics.
Talc (with Asbestiform)
Used as an opacifier in some powder cosmetics. If manufactured to standard, asbestos should not be present.
Triclosan
Previously used as an antimicrobial in hand and body soaps. It is currently not allowed in the US or EU.
Other ingredients you might be wondering about
The following ingredients are either no longer commonly used in beauty and personal care products or are natural contaminants in the manufacturing process. The brands that participate in the Clean Ingredients pillar of Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty™ have represented that they do not intentionally add these ingredients to their products.
1,4-Dioxane
Contaminant found in some raw materials used in personal care products.
Acrylamide
Contaminant found in raw materials such as film formers used in personal care products.
Ethylhexyl Ethylhexanoate
An ester that was used as an emollient, but it is no longer commonly used.
Heavy Metals – Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel
Heavy metals are found naturally in the earth and may therefore be found in pigments and mineral-based raw materials. These are not intentionally added ingredients and Ulta Beauty has established limits of these ingredients in finished products.
Lead Acetate
Used in hair dye. It is regulated by the FDA specifically for use in hair dyes and requires a caution statement on product labels.
Methyl Cellosolve (Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether or 2-Methoxyethanol)
Used to dissolve other ingredients and remove chemicals in varnish and dyes.
Phenoxyethanol
Used in most water-based beauty products as a preservative and is considered safe when used at 1% or below.
Polyethylene microbeads, polypropylene microbeads & polystyrene microbeads (restricted in rinse-off products only)
Microbeads used as an exfoliant. They accumulate in the environment causing harm; a global ban is in place in most major regions including the U.S., Canada and EU.
Thimerosal
Formerly used as a preservative in eye makeup. It is not currently used due to Prop 65 listing.
Toluene
Formerly used in nail polish.
Triclocarban
Formerly used in anti-bacterial soap and is no longer common in beauty and personal care formulations.