Deciphering Ingredient labels on Cosmetics

Deciphering Ingredient Labels on Cosmetics 

Have you ever looked at the back of a bottle of cosmetics or the packaging of the product you just purchased and wondered about what all those ingredients are, and why they are there?  Understanding a product's ingredient list can be a daunting task for the typical consumer.  Luckily, a uniform framework is in place and is known as the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients or INCI listing. The purpose of this piece is to give readers a basic understanding of how to interpret the INCI listings, how they are listed and why.  So, you may purchase items with more confidence.

Ingredient listings are required by US/FDA law to be on either the container or the package of cosmetics are based on the fundamental premise of presenting components in descending order based on concentration. The elements listed first are the main constituents; the mid-section are those in descending order and you can assume the last ones are at trace levels, usually 1 percent or less. The order of ingredients are listed in descending order until they reach the 1% level and then the manufacturer is able to mix these around as they please with the caveat that normally "fragrance/parfum" is listed last if it is present at >1% and synthetic colors are normally also put at the last of the listing.  Since preservatives are always added into products that have water (Aqua) in them to maintain their integrity and shelf life.  So, I like to always look for those as they will give me the normal 1% cut off.   Ingredients such as the common phenoxyethanol are normally used at 0.95-1%.  Other ingredients such as glycerin is normally in the 2-3% range, Polyquaternium 10 is normally in the 1-2% range and panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5) can be found in high end hair care at the 1% range.

As a larger number of consumers are interested in natural products, it is very hard to determine which ingredient can be considered as "natural" or non (synthetic).  You may either look on the package or container and the company will tell you that this product is made from "X"% of natural ingredients or that they are made from "natural" or "organic" sources.  You may also see "*" on the IDEC that will notify you of organic products.

With the prominence of botanicals being included in cosmetics, it is important to note that the proper listing for a botanical is their scientific name and the manufacturer may also list their common name within or after the scientific name.   Such as Butyrospermum (Shea) Parkii butter.

Furthermore, active chemicals such alpha hydroxy acids, retinol, and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) are frequently added in modest amounts, typically less than 1%, and as a result, they will appear near the end of the INCI listing.   This does not mean that they are in-effective at these levels as many actives are designed to be used at lower percentages due to their added performance.

Consumers can choose cosmetic products more confidently by being aware of the rules governing ingredient labeling and the concentrations at which particular components are typically used. This allows them to match their preferences, values, and any unique sensitivities they may have with their selections.

To complicate things,  OTC products such as sunscreens and dandruff products have a different set of rules which will go into at a later time.