Every day, more people are becoming aware of the importance of knowing what's in the products we constantly apply to our skin. Understanding what each ingredient means and what it implies for our dermis is one of the first steps to truly start taking care of our health.
However, understanding labels can be complicated. The ingredient list should always be on the packaging, but without prior knowledge, it can be difficult to comprehend. Scientific terms and Latin names often lead many people to give up before understanding what a product truly contains.
Learning to read the INCI is one of the first steps you should take to truly know what you are applying to your skin, and whether it is a good or harmful product for your health. You only need to know a few basic rules to obtain the necessary information about the ingredients. In this text, we will teach you how to read the INCI step-by-step.
What is INCI?
Before learning how to read it, it's important to know what it is and why it exists. The word INCI comes from "International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients."
It is a standardized system that assigns a unique name to each ingredient used in cosmetic products. Thanks to this nomenclature, the same ingredient receives the same name anywhere in the world, regardless of the language in which the product is sold, making it easier for anyone to understand.
This means that a cosmetic purchased in Spain, Japan, Germany, or Australia will show exactly the same name for a specific ingredient, making it easier to identify its composition. This way, regardless of where you buy your cosmetics, you can check their composition and assess whether or not they contain toxic ingredients.
Why was INCI created?
INCI was created in the United States in 1973, and until then, each manufacturer could use different trade names or translations to refer to the same ingredient. This made it very difficult to compare products or to truly know what substances were being used to formulate each one.
One of the problems caused by the lack of a common nomenclature system was the difficulty in identifying substances that could cause allergies or intolerances. This meant that not only was it more complicated to understand their composition, but it could also ultimately pose a health risk.
INCI was created with the aim of providing clarity, transparency, and safety for both consumers and industry professionals. Thanks to this system, anyone can identify the ingredients in a cosmetic and decide which ones they want to avoid or which ones they want to find because they work particularly well for them.
How are ingredients ordered in an INCI list?
To learn how to read an INCI, one of the most important rules is to understand how the ingredients are ordered on the label.
Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration. This means that the first ingredient on the list is present in the largest quantity, and subsequent ingredients appear in decreasing proportion. The last ingredient listed will be the one with the smallest quantity.
This means that the first ingredients truly define the product's formula, although it's always very important to know all of them. Paying close attention to the overall composition of a product will help determine if it is truly good for your health or not.
Let's look at an example. Banbu's Shine hydrating facial cream is composed of about 40 different ingredients, all of them natural. Its INCI is as follows:
Ingredients: Rosa Damascena Flower Water*, Propanediol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil*, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Aqua, Cetearyl alcohol, Glyceryl stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Ubiquinone, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Fragaria Ananassa Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Parfum, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Amylopectin, Sodium Phytate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenylpropanol, Citric acid, Squalene, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, B-sitosterol, Glycine Soja Oil, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol**, Citronellol**, Geraniol**, Menthol**, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil**.
This means that the three most abundant ingredients in this product are Damask rose, propanediol, and jojoba oil, in that order. These three help to nourish, soothe, and deeply hydrate the skin, and they also improve the penetration of the other ingredients.
Why are ingredients listed in Latin?
This is one of the most frequent questions and the one that makes correct INCI reading most difficult. When a product's composition includes substances of plant origin, the scientific name of the plant from which they come is indicated in Latin.
This means that, in the case of natural cosmetics where most ingredients are of plant origin, practically the entire INCI will be in Latin. Some examples found in many current cosmetic products are:
- Butyrospermum Parkii Butter corresponds to shea butter.
- Olea Europaea Fruit Oil is olive oil.
Another very relevant piece of information to know is that, if any ingredient is present in nanomaterial form, this must be indicated by the term "nano."
Using the scientific name avoids confusion, as the same ingredient can have different names depending on the country or language. It's easy to understand and helps more people know exactly what it is.
Other ingredients are in English because their technical name is added to the INCI. Although many associate them with harmful compounds, this is not entirely the case. The important thing is to know what function each ingredient performs within the formula.
What information can you get from reading an INCI?
An ingredient list says much more than it seems. If you've never read it, it's hard to understand what it actually contains. However, with basic knowledge and reading it correctly, you can tell which ingredients predominate in the formula, whether it contains perfume, or if it incorporates botanical extracts, among other things.
This can greatly help people with allergies or sensitivities to certain ingredients, as they can see at a glance if it contains those compounds.
Tips for learning to read an INCI
There's no point in trying to memorize the names of all the ingredients. The first thing recommended is to calmly and unhurriedly read the product you are about to apply. This can save you from future harm to your body if it contains harmful ingredients.
It is advisable to learn to recognize the most common plant compounds and extracts. The easiest way if you want to find a specific ingredient, either because you find it good or bad for your skin, is to know its name and look for it among them.
If an ingredient causes you greater sensitivity or doesn't quite agree with you, it's best to check if that ingredient appears in the INCI. Over time, you'll discover that it becomes increasingly easy to interpret a label.
Understanding an INCI means learning to choose better
Knowing how to read an INCI correctly helps you find the products that best suit your needs and are most consistent with what you're looking for. Starting to use products that are more respectful of your health begins by knowing what ingredients they contain.
The international nomenclature was created precisely to make information more transparent. Although it may seem complicated at first, you only need to know a few rules to start interpreting any label with confidence.
Next time you have a cosmetic product in your hands, turn it over and take a little time to read its INCI. You'll see that, little by little, the names start to make sense and become the most useful tool for making decisions about your body care.
