Let’s turn into fortune-tellers! We won’t be reading palms, though 🙂 We’ll be reading INCI i.e. names of ingredients in cosmetics. Do you know what to pay attention to while shopping for skin care products? Most buyers check… price and aroma, some of them fall for catchphrases on containers. You’ve taken the wrong turning! If you really want to know what’s hidden inside your moisturizer, run through the INCI, list of substances that make up your product. Let me share the secrets so you do it like a pro!
Why it’s worthwhile to read INCI list on a label?
The answer is obvious: manufacturers put some cool and not-so-cool ingredients inside moisturizers and other products. Cheap preservatives, silicones, harmful alcohols drying out the skin. Nobody wants a product filled up with such nasties which do harm instead of conditioning the skin, dehydrate it instead of moisturizing, etc.
Another good thing about checking the INCI is that you can check the REAL quantity of the desired ingredient. I used to buy products whose manufactures promised amazing moisture-boost, rejuvenating power of hyaluronic acid or super revitalization with vitamin C. Then I would read the INCI and it turned out that the coveted substance was at the end of the list. In other words, it was included in trace amounts. Also, thankfully, we are becoming aware that a high price doesn’t mean fine quality. The whole truth is revealed by the INCI.
Products, ingredients, INCI. Where to seek help?
I hope my guide will help you but if you need a professional piece of advice, you can consult a beautician or skin doctor to learn which products are safe and what substances should be included in a given cosmetic. In a beauty salon or dermatologist’s office you can also identify your skin type and its actual needs. You’d be surprised how many people wrongly determine their skin type, and treat it with mismatched products, causing damage instead of enhancing the skin.
What is INCI?
It stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It is a clearly-defined, uniform system for naming ingredients in cosmetics, recognized in European Union, China and United States. INCI system gives names to over 1600 substances common in cosmetics. Names of chemical compounds are provided in English whereas names of plants – in Latin. The ingredients are listed according to the quantity: the largest quantity is on the top whereas ingredients included in the smallest amounts are at the bottom of the list.
How to read the INCI list on cosmetic labels?
As long as you know these 5 rules, it’s a child’s play. Knowing them is essential for understanding INCI names.
Rule 1 for understanding INCI: the top of the list is the most important
As mentioned above, if INCI name is put on the top, the quantity of a given substance is high. Therefore, if an active ingredient is listed at the bottom, regrettably, its quantity is small.
Rule 2 for understanding INCI: each cosmetic is made of three basic groups of ingredients
- Base ingredients make up the foundation of a product and are at the same time solvents. These are fats, water and alcohols.
- Active ingredients are our Holy grails, or the force making products give a desired effect. These substances beautify, have a healing effect, smooth out the skin, etc. They make the product WORK. This group includes valuable extracts, oils, vitamins, acids and proteins.
- Auxiliary ingredients put all components together, in other words, turn separate ingredients into a coherent formula. These include preservatives preventing products from going off fast, plus pigments and aromas, emulsifiers, stabilizators and consistency-forming agents.
Rule 3 for understanding INCI: better ingredients in better products
In high-end cosmetics, poor-quality substances are replaced with fine ingredients e.g. sea water (from natural resources, abounding in minerals) instead of aqua.
Rule 4 for understanding INCI: not all alcohols in cosmetics are that bad
There are both good and bad alcohols added to cosmetics. The latter build up on skin and dry it out whereas the former are volatile and present in products only to aid active ingredient in getting into inner skin layers. Good alcohols evaporate before doing any harm.
Rule 5 for understanding INCI: know your enemies!
You need to know the real wrongdoers that cause damage. Silicones, heavy alcohols and preservatives make up the largest group. The blacklist is very long but you should learn at least the most common ones.
Harmful, heavy silicones:
- Cetyl dimethicone
- Stearoxy dimethicone
- Stearyl dimethicone
- Stearyl methicone
- Simethicone
- Trimethylsilylamodimethicone
- Trimethylsiloxysilicate
- Trisiloxane
Aromatic ingredients are usually at the bottom of the list. Too bad they are often strong allergens irritating the skin and, to make things worse, their INCI names are vague and laconic: parfum or fragrance.
Damaging alcohols in cosmetics:
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Alcohol denat
- Benzyl alcohol
- Ethyl (etanol) alcohol
- Grain alcohol
Finished reading? You’ve gained valuable knowledge about INCI names of cosmetic products! If you have some observations or thoughts on the topic, please share them in comments 🙂
