There are thought to be more than 7000 different known languages in the world. So imagine the confusion if the ingredient lists on cosmetic products were written in thousands of languages.

To facilitate global trade, consumer safety and personal care product regulations, cosmetic ingredients, whether of botanical or synthetic origin, are given standardised names recognised worldwide. They are listed in the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, commonly known by the acronym INCI.

What is an INCI?

INCI (International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient) names are internationally recognised systematic names for identifying cosmetic ingredients.

Translated into English, INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients and is a unique identifier for cosmetic ingredients such as waxes, oils, extracts, pigments and other chemicals that are assigned according to rules set by the Personal Care Products Council, formerly the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association.

In this post I will try to explain what an INCI is, how it works and why it is good to be able to “read” the INCI on cosmetic products.

Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about INCI at the moment and it’s brand new to you. However, I think it is wise to know the basics of INCI notation, even though it may take you some time to understand how it works or how to use it. how it is decoded. While INCI does not solve all your questions about the origin and types of cosmetic ingredients you come across, it does help you a lot to determine whether or not it is an ingredient you want in your product.

Origin of INCI

The international nomenclature of cosmetic ingredients was introduced in the 1970s. The Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrances Association (CTFA), now called the Personal Care Products Council, was founded in the 1970s by the US-based Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrances Association (CTFA) (PCPC). Its origin in the USA is part of the reason that INCI names include common English words for some ingredients.

To date, there are more than 16,000 cosmetic ingredients listed in the INCI, with more being added every year (as new ingredients derived from botanical plants or synthesised in the laboratory are introduced).

Where to find the INCI?

Database EU Cosing is a free online service that takes you to the official INCI list itself. You can search the entire database of cosmetic ingredients in the EU, including those that are banned and restricted in the EU.

Why INCI?

INCI has many advantages. You can only imagine the confusion that could arise from different names circulating around the world for the same cosmetic ingredients. INCI was also designed to simplify the often very complex chemical molecular names for ingredients.

So INCI exists to help.

As far as the consumer is concerned mainly for information and consumer safety: consumers need to have the INCI list of ingredients available on the primary packaging (secondary packaging is sufficient if the product contains it of course) – to identify potential allergens or ingredients to which they may have an adverse reaction, or simply to avoid a particular ingredient in cosmetics due to personal preference. By indicating INCI ingredients on cosmetic packaging and making consumers more informed about ingredients, there is also less scope for marketing manipulation and misleading.

In short: improved safety, smooth trade, ease of production and increased scientific knowledge on ingredients support the rationale for INCI. The INCI system is used in the USA, the European Union, China, Japan and many other countries to list ingredients on cosmetic product labels. With a few exceptions, the names of the INCI labels are the same in all countries.

How does INCI work?

INCI uses a combination of scientific, English and Latin names as unique identifiers for cosmetic ingredients. Here are some examples of INCI names that you may be familiar with or that are commonly found in cosmetic products.

English name of the ingredient	INCI
Sunflower oil	Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
Jojoba	Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Olive oil	Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil
Shea butter	Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
Rosehip extract	Rosa Canina Seeds
Aloe Vera gel	Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Vitamin E	Tocopherol
Glycerol	Glycerin
Beeswax	Beeswax / Alba Cera
Lavender hydrolat	Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water

If you look at the table, you will see the mix of names that make up the INCI: English common names, Latin names and scientific names. Sometimes all three can be combined into one INCI list.

Use of INCI on cosmetics packaging

In the EU and the US, it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to list the ingredients of their formulation on the packaging in order of the highest percentage of the ingredient down to those included in the top one percent. Ingredients present in less than one percent, including any of the regulated allergens present in the formulation, can be listed in any order. Consumers, and especially other formulators, then have a fairly good idea of the amount of any ingredient in the product, if not the exact breakdown of the formulation.

What else INCI tells us or doesn’t tell us

1. Is this ingredient natural?

Reading the INCI will give you clarity on the ingredient itself, in the sense that the product contains glycerol, for example. Their INCI names can also give you a clue as to their origin. Similarly, the INCI name can help you determine whether a hydrosol is a distillation product or a floral water, which is formed by solubilising essential oils in distilled water.

However, even the INCI name cannot give you 100% clarity on the origin of the ingredient. In some cases, the INCI name is the same whether the ingredient is a botanical or a synthetic version. An example of this is propandiol, a solvent and emollient used to improve the feel of the skin and the texture of cosmetic products. It can be fermented from maize or produced by synthesis.

The ingredients glycerin and squalane can be of plant or animal origin, but the INCI for both is the same.

2. Why do different products have the same INCI?

Ingredients may contain exactly the same chemical components but in different proportions. In this case, the INCI cannot tell you the percentage of the total ingredient. An example of this would be two emulsifiers that have the same INCI, but need to be used differently in the formulation and might give a different feel on the skin in the final product. They may have different trade or proprietary names but the same INCI.

The second reason is that the INCI does not explain from which part of the plant the ingredient is derived. An example of this would be the sea buckthorn plant, which produces two botanical oils: one is pressed from its seeds; the other is from the flesh of the berry – the two versions have very different fatty acid profiles. Both may be referred to as Hippophae rhamnoides oil in the supplier’s information, instead of Hippophae rhamnoides seed oil and Hippophae rhamnoides berry oil.

To make things even more confusing, the same INCI can sometimes represent completely different products. For example, the INCI Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract could be a CO2 extract, an oil extract, a glycerite or even a powder extract.

3. Does every cosmetic ingredient have an INCI?

No, not every ingredient allowed in cosmetics needs an INCI. For example, some ingredients derived from food sources may not be listed as cosmetic ingredients and therefore do not have an INCI list. Fresh banana extract could be listed as an ingredient but would not have a corresponding INCI.

4. Does the INCI tell you what the source of the ingredient is?

No, you can’t always tell the source, botanical or synthetic, just from all the INCI lists. For example, regular Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides oil can be made from several ingredients including coconut oil and palm kernel oil mixed with various medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oils and glycerol.

5. Are all ingredients listed on the INCI safe for use in cosmetics?

The Personal Care Products Council says on its website that the fact that a cosmetic ingredient has an INCI label does not imply any statement about its safe use in cosmetics. This judgement is a matter for regulatory authorities in different jurisdictions around the world.

6. Does the INCI tell you how active or effective the ingredient is?

The fact that you see a nice botanical or active ingredient named in the INCI doesn’t really mean anything. Take for example the issue of a water-based botanical extract. Centella asiatica or Gotu kola is known as an adaptogenic herb that works well in formulations for mature skin. Its key active chemicals are centeloids: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. However, an INCI extract of Gotu kola in water would simply list the Latin name of the plant and the water and would give no indication of the amount of the active ingredients themselves in the solution.

Similarly, hyaluronic acid has different molecular weights, which are suitable for different types of cosmetic formulations and are used for different purposes. The INCI name for hyaluronic acid is sodium hyaluronate and it is the same whatever molecular weight you buy.

INCI decoder

Deciphering the ingredients of a cosmetic product may sound complicated at first, but it becomes easier with practice. Here are some tips on how to understand and read the ingredients list:

• Use online tools: there are many online tools and apps to help you understand the ingredients in cosmetic products. Simply type in the name of the ingredient and get more detailed information about its function and any safety concerns.
• Know the most common ingredients: learn to identify the most common ingredients that appear on ingredient lists. This includes ingredients such as water (aqua), glycerin, oils, preservatives, emulsifiers, etc. Over time, you will become more familiar with which ingredients are common in cosmetic products.

• Consider the order of the ingredients: the ingredients in the list are usually listed in descending order, meaning that the most important ingredients are at the top of the list. If the ingredient you are interested in is listed at the end of the list, it may be present in smaller quantities and have no effect on the skin.
• Read the explanations and descriptions: don’t just look at the name of the ingredient, but also read the descriptions or explanations that are often listed next to it. The manufacturer can provide information on the function of the ingredient as well as any safety concerns.
• Be aware of allergens: if you have allergies or sensitive skin, pay attention to the ingredients you want to avoid. The list of ingredients often lists allergens such as perfumes, essential oils, certain preservatives or ingredients that can cause irritation.

Apps that check the ingredients in your beauty products

Understanding what’s in our beauty products is more important than ever for consumers, so here are some of the most popular apps that analyse skincare products. help you understand the cosmetic ingredients that are in the product.

1. Think Dirty: It’s a mobile app that allows you to scan the barcodes of cosmetic products and shows the safety rating of the ingredients. It also provides detailed information on ingredients and offers alternative products. Think Dirty uses a rating scale from one to 10 called the Dirty Meter – the lower the rating, the safer the ingredient, the higher the rating, the more harmful it is.

2. INCI Decoder: This is an online tool that helps you understand the list of ingredients on cosmetic products. You can enter the name of an ingredient and get detailed information about its function, origin and potential risks. You can enter a specific ingredient (INCI) into the app and it will decode it for you. You can also enter the name of the product (so not just the INCI name) and it will also explain which ingredients are in the product and what they are for. As this is a foreign (English) website, you will not find all the products on this website.

3. INCI Beauty: The INCI Beauty app is available on the Apple, Google Play and Microsoft app stores. To use the app, start by scanning the product barcode or searching by product name or ingredient name. The search results will display the product’s composition, including a complete list of ingredients and their functions. INCI Beauty gives products an overall rating of 20. The higher the rating, the better.

4. EWG Skin Deep Database: This is an online database that assesses the safety of cosmetic products. You can enter the name of a product or ingredient and get a safety rating and detailed information on each ingredient.

5. CosDNA: This is a website that allows you to analyse the ingredients of cosmetic products. You enter a list of ingredients and get detailed information on each ingredient, including risk assessment for irritation, acne and toxicity.

It is important to remember that no online tool or app is perfect, so it is advisable to combine information from several sources and consult experts if you have specific concerns about ingredients in cosmetic products.

And finally…BAD INGREDIENTS IN COSMETIC PRODUCTS

There are quite a few ingredients that we really don’t want in our cosmetic products. It’s a good idea to avoid them, just to name a few of the most undesirable ones:

• Parabens: are preservatives often used in cosmetic products to prolong shelf life. However, concerns have been raised about their link to hormonal disruption and skin irritation.
• Phthalates: are substances often used to preserve the smell and texture of products. Some phthalates have been linked to hormone disruption and other health problems.

• Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS): is a surfactant often used for foaming and cleaning. However, SLS can cause skin irritation and dryness in some people.
• Silicones: often used to create a smooth texture in cosmetic products. However, they can build up on the skin and clog pores, which can cause problems such as acne.
• Mineral oils: mineral oils are derivatives of petroleum and are often used in moisturisers. However, they are not well absorbed into the skin and can cause a greasy feeling and clog pores.
• UV filters: such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, etc. They are already banned in certain countries because of their negative impact on marine ecosystems and are known allergic reactors and potential hormone disruptors.
• Perfumes: irritating and drying to the skin, many are allergenic and phototoxic.

• Emulsifiers: such as TEA (Triethanolamine), DEA (Diethanolamine) and MEA (Monoethanolamine), which can form nitrosamines, known to be potential carcinogens.
• Petrolatum and other petroleum derivatives: such as mineral oils, paraffin and petrolatum, are widely used in the cosmetics industry for their moisturising properties and their ability to form a protective layer on the skin. However, they should be avoided as they clog the pores, have no nutrients or nutrients. They also have a negative impact on the environment due to the way they are extracted.
• And many others, such as PEG (polyethylene glycol), EDTA chelator, acrylamide, toluene, dioxane, propylene glycol, etc.

Of course, you can always choose natural cosmetic products, preferably those that have been certified as natural or organic. In this case, you can be sure that you will not find any of the ingredients listed above in your products, as the conditions for obtaining certification are very strict and all the ingredients listed above are prohibited.

For a good indication of whether an ingredient is allowed in natural cosmetics or not, please consult the COSMOS database. If an ingredient is COSMOS approved, it means that it is completely safe for your skin, i.e. not only natural, but also environmentally friendly in the way it is produced.