How to read an ingredient list?
What an ingredient list does and does not tell you about a product?
If you love to read ingredient lists or have doubts about them, this guide is for you! What makes a trustworthy, correct ingredient list? What is the information you can decode from it? What are the limitations of ingredient lists? How to spot shady, incorrect ingredient lists?
Read on to become an ingredient list pro!
First: what does INCI stand for? What is the INCI name of an ingredient?
INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It is a huge list of standardised names for cosmetic ingredients published by the Personal Care Products Council. For example, the INCI name of argan oil is argania spinosa kernel oil, or the INCI name of table salt (yes, it is a common ingredient in cosmetic products) is sodium chloride.
How should an ingredient list look like (at least in the EU & US)?
Regulations are different from region to region and there are many details and nuances to them, but the two very basic rules in the EU, US and most other parts for the world are these:
Basic rule no 1: The ingredient list uses INCI nomenclature on its ingredient list
It sounds like a simple rule but we are shocked to see how many products uploaded to INCIDecoder do not follow it. We will detail the common problems with examples in the next section, but for now this is how a correct ingredient list looks like:
Aqua/Water,
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter,
Butylene Glycol,
Tridecyl Stearate,
Isodecyl Salicylate,
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate,
Tridecyl Trimellitate,
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil,
Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate,
Propylene Glycol,
Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate,
Sorbitan Sesquioleate,
Magnesium Sulfate,
Phenoxyethanol,
Hydrogenated Castor Oil,
Sodium PCA,
Ozokerite,
Methylparaben,
Tocopheryl Acetate,
Isopropyl Palmitate,
Disodium EDTA,
Copper Pca,
Butylparaben,
Ethylparaben,
Propylparaben,
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil,
CI 75130/Beta-Carotene,
Tocopherol,
Citric Acid
An ingredient list with INCI nomenclature
[
source]
Basic rule nr 2: Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight up to the 1% mark
The product contains most from the first ingredient, the second most from the second etc. up to the 1% mark. After the 1% mark, companies can list ingredients in any order they like. They typically move good sounding ingredients up and not-so-good sounding ingredients down, but that is a legal and ok thing to do.
There are some notable exceptions worth knowing about when it comes to the order of the ingredients:
Products regulated as Over-The-Counter products by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration in the US, the agency that regulates cosmetics and drugs). For example, sunscreens or certain acne-treatment products. OTC products list the active ingredients first with their exact amounts, then the "inactive" ingredients. Here is an example sunscreen and an example benzoyl peroxide acne treatment.
The ingredient list of an OTC product in the US [source]
Creams, gels, ointments that are regulated as medicine and are sold in pharmacies list ingredients differently than cosmetic products. They usually separate active and inactive ingredients and do not use the INCI nomenclature but the Pharmacopeia nomenclature of their region. Inactive ingredients are also not listed in descending order of weight.
The ingredient list of an Rx medicine [source]
As strange as it sounds, Australian sunscreens do not have to list out their full ingredient list, only the UV filters and the preservatives. This rule is beyond us, as there is literally no way to know what is in an Australian sunscreen, but apparently this is the regulation there. Labmuffin has a more detailed post on this, if you are interested.
The (not-complete) ingredient list of an Australian sunscreen
[source]
We do not have exact knowledge of South-Korean regulations (if you do, please write us an email at hello@incidecoder.com, we are more than happy to update this section!), but we have seen several examples that prove that regulations on the order of ingredients in Korea is different from regulations in the EU & US. This often results in K-beauty products listing "good sounding" ingredients way sooner in their ingredient lists than it would be listed in the EU/US. A very good example is the Krave Beauty Oat So Simple Cream where the US ingredient list has Oat in the 9th position out of 10, while the Korean ingredient list has it in the very first position. It seems that an ingredient-in-water-solution can somehow count as one ingredient in Korea, while this is not the case in the EU/US. Here is a great article on this topic by Tracy from Fancervice-d.
귀리가루추출물 (790,000ppm), 부틸렌글라이콜, 카프릴릭/카프릭트라이글리세라이드, 스쿠알란, 1,2-헥산다이올, 베헤닐알코올, 암모늄아크릴로일다이메틸타우레이트/브이피코폴리머, 에틸헥실글리세린
|
Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Avena Sativa (Oat) Meal Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
|
Left: ingredient list of Krave moisturiser from the Korean website with Oat Flour Extract as the first ingredient (with amount is 790 000 ppm, about 79%) vs Right: the ingredient list of the same product from the US website
How to spot shady, incorrect ingredient lists?
We will say this: we are shocked to see the amount of incorrect ingredient lists uploaded to our site. Sometimes it is just a small, honest mistake that can happen to everyone. We are not talking about that. We are talking about ingredient lists that show a total lack of understanding or disregard of how a correct ingredient list looks like.
If you see an ingredient list that resembles the examples below, we recommend you to run the other way! If a company cannot bother to put out a correct ingredient list why shall we trust their formulas?
We are working on a warning system for our site so that it becomes easier to spot shady ingredient lists, like in the examples below:
It might sound benign, but is "vitamin E" really tocopherol, or tocopheryl acetate? What kind of rose is it? There are several used in cosmetics. Common names often do not have the precision INCI nomenclature has and requires.
Aqua,
Linseed Acid**,
Echinacea Extract*,
Melilotus-Officinalis-Extract*,
Rue Extract*,
Sesame Oil*,
Jojoba Seed Oil*,
Glycerin,
Aloe Vera Juice*,
Macadamia Oil*,
Glyceryl Stearate,
Apricot Kernel Oil*,
Wheat Juice**,
Stone Crop*,
Calendula Extract*,
Yarrow Extract*,
Shea Butter,
Vitamin E,
Xanthan Gum,
Lecithin,
Allantoin,
Vitamin B3,
Vitamin B5,
Zinc Sulfate,
Sea Buckthorn Oil*,
Licorice Extract,
Evening Primrose Oil*,
Benzyl Alcohol,
Benzoic Acid,
Sorbic Acid,
Vitamin A
[source]
Trade names are phantasy names given by manufacturers to their ingredients.Sometimes it denotes only one ingredient, but more often, it is a whole list of ingredients. For example, Matrixyl 3000 is a trade name we see listed often, while the INCI listing of Matrixyl 3000 is Glycerin, Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1,Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7. In a correct ingredient list, you should never see trade names. Trade names have to be “resolved” to their components, and then the components put in correct order based on their amount.
Note: our site tries to help you with trade names as well, and we put the INCI list of recognised trade names in parenthesis on ingredient lists.
Spring Water,
Matrixyl 3000,
Regu-Age,
(Seamollient) Chondrus Crispus Extract,
(Syn-Coll) Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5,
Glycerine,
Caffeine,
Blue (Lily) Lotus Infusion,
D-Panthenol,
Optiphen,
Dehydroxanthan Gum,
Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate),
Liposomes (Phospholipon)
[source]
Saying things such as organic, wild crafted, cold pressed, infused with etc. are all marketing driven adjectives that are not part of the INCI nomenclature and should not be on the ingredient list. The correct way is to note these ingredients with asterisks and explain this in a comment under the ingredient list.
Organic Deionized Herbal Infusion*,
(Vitamin C) Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate,
Botanical Hyaluronic Acid,
Organic Rosehip Seed Oil,
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane),
Retinol,
Squalane (Olive Oil),
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3),
(2S)-2-Amino-5-Guanidinopentanoic Acid,
Salicylic Acid,
Pink Grapefruit Oil,
Lavender Oil,
Ylang Ylang Oil,
Organic Aloe,
Organic Gotu Kola,
Wildcrafted Horsetail Extract,
Wildcrafted Dandelion,
Wildcrafted Geranium Extract,
Carbomer,
Phenoxyethanol,
Ethyl Hexyl Glycerine
[source]
These denote whole groups of possible ingredients and are not according to the INCI nomenclature.
Purified Water,
Glycolic Acid (10%),
Lactic Acid,
Pyruvic Acid,
Emulsifying Wax NF,
Avocado Oil,
Soybean Oil,
Squalane,
Silicone,
Glycerin,
Phenoxyethanol,
Ethylhexylglycerin
[source]
A correct ingredient list does not contain duplicate ingredients. They often come from not resolving trade names correctly, and it is always a warning sign.
Sodium Hyaluronate,
Pomegranate Extract (Lactobacillus),
Mushroom Extract (Poria Cocos Extract),
Water/Aqua,
Glycerin,
Dimethicone,
Acetamidoethoxyethanol,
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer,
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer,
Isododecane,
Pentylene Glycol,
Sodium Hyaluronate
[source]
There are more and less obvious cases for this and it is not always easy to spot, but for example, if Hyaluronic Acid (or any other water soluble polymer for that matter) is before water, you can be sure there is a problem.
Sodium Hyaluronate,
Hyaluronic Acid,
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid,
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer,
Glycerin,
Butylene Glycol,
Water,
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride,
Propanediol,
Caprylyl Methicone,
Ethylhexyl Stearate,
Niacinamide,
Squalane,
Cetearyl Alcohol,
1,2-Hexanediol,
Sucrose Polystearate,
Cetearyl Glucoside,
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene,
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer,
Phenoxyethanol,
Panthenol,
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer,
Caprylyl Glycol,
Tromethamine,
Fragrance(Parfum),
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Water,
Ethylhexylglycerin,
Xanthan Gum,
Adenosine,
Disodium EDTA,
Glutathione,
Saccharide Isomerate,
Dextrin,
Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract,
Sucrose,
Arginine,
Pca,
Serine,
Alanine,
Adenium Obesum Leaf Cell Extract,
Threonine,
Hydrogenated Lecithin,
Polyglutamic Acid,
Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract,
Aloe Ferox Leaf Extract,
Mourera Fluviatilis Extract,
Triethanolamine,
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
[source]
If you do not see any "helper ingredients" such as preservatives, emulsifiers, solvents etc., but only nice sounding things, it is not a complete ingredient list. We see many brands listing only the good-sounding stuff under its ingredients section and not making it clear that it is not a full ingredient list. And sometimes the full list is nowhere to be found.
Decyl Glucoside,
Cocamidopropyl Betaine,
Allantoin,
Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5),
Aloe Vera Extract,
Green Tea Extract,
Honey,
Chamomile Extract,
Licorice Extract,
Ginkgo Biloba Extract,
Glycerin
[source]
This can also be a bit harder to spot, and requires some knowledge of the active ingredient in question, but for example if you see a retinol claim above 1%, you can be sure there is something strange going on.
Aloe Vera Juice,
Dimethyl Isosorbide,
Propanediol,
Ethoxydiglycol,
,
HydroxypInacolone Retinoate
Retinol,
Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride
Sodium Ascorbate,
Tocopherol,
Arachidyl Alcohol,
Behenyl Alcohol,
Arachidyl Glucoside,
Phenoxyethanol,
Pullulan,
Ethylhexylglycerin,
Hydroxyethylcellulose,
Xanthan Gum,
Sclerotium Gum,
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate,
Lecithin
[Be Minimalist Retinol 2%]
So, what can you tell from an ingredient list?
Let's assume, the ingredient list looks good and trustworthy. What can you decode from it?
Because you are allergic or sensitive to some ingredients. Or it is your personal preference to avoid something for whatever reason, e.g. you do not like the feel of silicones in a moisturiser. The ingredient list helps.
Have you noticed that your skin loves moisturisers that have glycerin high up in their ingredient lists? Or that you love the emollient squalane, but not silicones? You can check all these very easily on the ingredient list and make smarter purchase decisions.
Or you might have noticed that your skin reacts well with chemical sunscreens with certain types of UV filters and not well to others. Our site lists out in the highlight section all the UV filters at one place so you can check easily.
Highlights
Key Ingredients
A sunscreen that uses only new-generation chemical filters
You can do the same for cleansers. If you already have experience with a few, and have noticed your skin does well with certain surfactants (aka cleansing agents) you can go ahead and check the surfactants in our highlight section (expand show all ingredients by function). Or search our site for cleansers with the same type of surfactants using our detailed search.
Advanced Product Search Based on Ingredients
Our advanced search page
You cannot know the exact effectiveness of a product from the ingredient list (see our next section), but if you are looking for an anti-acne product that has no research-proven anti-acne active ingredient in it, there is a very slim chance that it will work. Some companies use their own "miracle-actives", but relying on those instead of researched-proven actives is like playing the lottery - there is a theoretical chance of winning, but it is really-really improbable. The same is true for anti-aging products. The miracle plant extract from Amazonia has an extremely slim chance of doing miracles for your collagen production.
Does the Vitamin C serum really contain pure Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) or a derivative? More often than not it is a derivative, still just called "Vitamin C Serum" so please check the ingredient list! Does the azelaic acid product really have azelaic acid, or maybe the water-soluble derivative called Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate?
Water Deionized,
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C),
Alkyl Benzoate,
Vegetable Glycerin,
Water,
Glycerin,
Sodium Levulinate,
Sodium Anisate,
Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea),
Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis),
Hyaluronic Acid,
Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder,
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf,
Tocotrienols,
Ferulic Acid,
Chamomile Flower Extract (Recutita Matricaria),
Sodium Phytate,
Xanthan Gum,
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Aqua,
Methyl Gluceth-20,
Ethyl Ascorbic Acid,
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract,
Sodium Hyaluronate,
Sodium Citrate,
Citric Acid,
Phenoxyethanol,
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6,
Caprylyl Glycol,
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract,
Sodium Bisulfite
Water,
Propanediol,
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate,
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6,
Niacinamide,
Ethyl Ascorbic Acid,
Caprylyl Glycol,
Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract,
Sodium Hyaluronate,
Phenylpropanol,
Phenoxyethanol,
Citric Acid,
Potassium Chloride,
Glycerin,
Chlorphenesin,
Tocopherol,
Potassium Sorbate,
Sodium Benzoate
Aqua,
Glycerin,
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate,
Butylene Glycol,
Pentylene Glycol,
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate,
Ethylhexylglycerin,
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate,
Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract,
Piroctone Olamine,
Hydroxyethylcellulose,
Citric Acid,
Potassium Chloride,
Sodium Hydroxide
Or let us not get started on the topic of retinol products. Is it really retinol or another form of retinoid? We see retinol products that are confusing even to the pro-s, but if you carefully look at the ingredient list, you can tell a lot. It is a pet peeve of ours and we did a few detailed posts on this on our Instagram such as a post on the famous Shani Darden retinoid product (claiming 5% "retinol"), the difference between Drunk Elephant 1% retinol vs Sunday Riley A+ claiming 6.5% "retinoid" content and the Inkey List retinol that claimed 1% "stabilised retinol" that only contained 0.05% in the reality (we are happy to see that this claim is now fixed).
What are the limitations of an ingredient list? Things you cannot tell
As useful as the ingredient lists are, the rumors that you cannot know everything from them are true. Here are some notable limitations:
There are ingredients that can come from animal or vegan sources, or ingredients that can come from synthetic or natural sources. Or an ingredient can be sustainably sourced or not. The molecule itself and its effect on your skin is the same, no matter the origin. But if you would like to know this kind of extra information, you have to ask the manufacturer.
It is true, you have to try to know how it feels on your skin. But, you can often make rough estimations: if you see a moisturiser that uses silicones as emollients, you can expect a "silicony" feel and you will probably be right.
You can often make educated guesses (and knowing the main actives and their amounts can help), but details like stabilisation of an unstable molecule, delivery system and formulation matter. So, unfortunately, you cannot decode the exact effectiveness of the product just from the ingredient list. What you can decode is when a product has no realistic chance of doing what it claims based on the ingredient list.
So is it worth looking at the ingredient list at all?
There are limitations, yes. Formulation matters, yes. It is true that if Gordon Ramsey cooks a salmon it will taste better than the salmon we cook at home. But does that mean that it is not even worth bothering to look if we will eat a salmon or a steak? We certainly like to know it in advance!
The truth is, of course, in between. We have never met a single cosmetic formulator colleague who does not start by looking at the ingredient list when a discussion about a product comes up. The ingredient list does tell you a wealth of useful information if you know what to look for. And we try really hard here on INCIDecoder to help you with that!
If you are still here, thank you! We hope you will have a lot of fun decoding ingredient lists!