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® all formulate their hair, skin, makeup, body and fragrance products to the “Made Without List” standards which prohibit or limit the use of certain ingredients.

Our approach to creating this list is to provide information on ingredients that are commonly associated with adverse health and/or environmental impacts. We also include ingredients that are either not commonly found or could appear because of the manufacturing process within beauty and personal care products.

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 ” does not guarantee “100% free from” since trace contaminants are possible. It is not the intention of Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty to test for trace contaminants or guarantee 100% free-from, but we encourage our brands to engage in thorough contaminant testing of raw materials and final formulas.

Acrylates

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 compounds

Allowed in cosmetics except antiperspirants, loose powder and dry shampoos.

Aluminum powder

Used as a colorant in many cosmetics. Allowed in cosmetics except lip products, antiperspirants, loose powder and dry shampoos.

Aluminum salts and complexes

Used to block pores in the skin to prevent sweat. Allowed in cosmetics except lip products, antiperspirants, loose powder and dry shampoos.

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.

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.

Cyclotetrasiloxane (D4)

A type of silicone used in cosmetics, deodorant, defoamers, lubricants and soaps.

Dioxin

Contaminant found in some raw materials used in personal care products. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.

Ethoxylated ingredients

Ethoxylated ingredients including PEGs and polyethylene glycol or polysorbate.

Formaldehyde-releasing agents (formaldehyde donors)

Used in cosmetics, hair products, shampoos and body washes as a preservative.

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.

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.

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.

The following ingredients are permitted to be used in formulations if the ingredients are used in accordance with the corresponding restricted limits, grade requirements and/or regulated standards.

Benzyl Alcohol (limited use 1% or less)

Used as a preservative often found in fragrances and toners. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) (limited use of .05% or less)

Antioxidant used to stabilize fragrances and cosmetics. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.

Carbon Black (limited use if meets EU and FDA purity requirements)

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.

Ethoxylated Ingredients (including polyethylene glycol (PEGS) or polysorbate)

Allowed if ingredient meets contamination limits for 1’4 Dioxane and ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide must be less than 2 ppm for lip products and less than 7 ppm for all other products. 1’4 Dioxane must be less than 10 ppm in finished products.

TEA (Triethanolamine) (limited use for TEA of 2.5% or less)

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.

Fragrances (must conform to IFRA standards and EU Regulations)

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.

Mineral oil, Paraffin, Petrolatum (all required to be USP, NF, or PH. Eur 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.

Retinol and esters (Limited use)

Used in skin creams and serums and is a vitamin A derivative. Products may contain trace amounts below regulated standard.

Talc (with Asbestiform)

Used as an opacifier in some powder cosmetics. If manufactured to standard, asbestos should not be present.

Zinc Oxide

Allowed in cosmetics except sprays & loose powders. (Acceptable if brand provides documentation of meeting EU safety standards.)

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.

Acrylamide

Contaminant found in raw materials such as film formers used in personal care products.

Dioxin (limited use of 2ppt or less)

Contaminant found in some raw materials used in personal care products.

1,4-Dioxane (limited use of less than 10ppm in rinse-off products and less than 3ppm in leave-on products)

Contaminant found in some raw materials used in personal care products.

DEA complexes/derivatives/condensates (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine)

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.

Ethylhexyl Ethylhexanoate

An ester that was used as an emollient, but it is no longer commonly used.

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.

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.

Hydroquinone

Used to whiten or lighten skin. Banned in the U.S.

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.

Triclosan

Previously used as an antimicrobial in hand and body soaps. It is currently not allowed in the US or EU.