AQUA, Glycerine, Cetearryl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Cetearyl Sulphate, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate, Sodium Sulphate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben..

It sounds like the list of ingredients of something you'd keep under the kitchen sink - but it is actually a baffling list of chemicals that make up a ?dermologically tested’ hand cream.

The effects of these chemicals can range from encouraging your skin to form a dependency on a product by ridding it of its natural protection, to extreme cases of causing rashes and violent allergic reactions.

To make it harder, beauty ingredients lists contain scientific jargon that fails to explain anything about what’s in a product - making it difficult to know what to buy.

Chemical Safe Skin Care's Julia Mitchell, says cosmetic users are becoming increasingly label-savvy.

She said: "Consumers are now more aware of what they are buying and are demanding alternatives."

So here is our guide to the best ranges free from harmful chemicals and preservatives as well as the ingredients you might want to avoid.