Lycopene

Lycopene is a carotenoid antioxidant typically used at low concentrations in leave-on products, where it is generally well tolerated and not inherently pH-dependent or exfoliating. Clinical and patch-test experience suggests low irritation potential, but because it is often delivered in oily/solubilized systems that can bother highly reactive or eczema-prone skin, it is not considered completely inert. Scoring it as very gentle reflects a strong safety profile while still accounting for rare sensitivity in compromised barriers. Safety Notes: In consumer skincare, lycopene is most often used as an antioxidant/color-active in very low amounts, with many creams/lotions/cleansers listing tomato/lycopene sources that typically translate to ~0.0001–0.01% lycopene in the finished product. Leave-on serums and antioxidant concentrates (often using solubilized lycopene in oils or encapsulated/dispersed forms) commonly fall around ~0.01–0.1%, while a smaller number of high-strength OTC facial oils/serums reach ~0.2–0.5% before stability (oxidation/isomerization), staining/color, and odor constraints become limiting; rinse-off products tend to sit at the low end due to short contact time.