The back of a pack can look like a chemistry exam. It helps to know that the list follows rules, and that most of the long names fall into a few familiar groups.
The order on the list means something
In Canada and the EU, cosmetic ingredients are listed from the largest amount to the smallest, down to a concentration of about 1%. Below that, they may appear in any order.
So the first few names usually make up most of the product. A name near the end may be present in only a small amount, although position alone does not tell you the exact percentage.
Why the names look the way they do
Cosmetic labels use a shared system called INCI, the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. That is why water often appears as Aqua, and why plant ingredients are given Latin names, such as Butyrospermum parkii for shea butter. The same name is used across countries, which makes a label easier to look up wherever you bought it.
Most long names do an ordinary job
Many ingredients fall into groups that are simple to describe:
- Humectants, such as glycerin, draw water to the skin.
- Emollients, such as squalane, soften and smooth.
- Emulsifiers help oil and water stay mixed.
- Preservatives stop bacteria and mould growing in water-based products.
- Colours and fragrance change how a product looks and smells.
You can look up what a specific ingredient is on our ingredient pages.
What "parfum" tells you, and what it doesn't
Parfum or fragrance is a blanket term for a scent blend, and the individual components do not all have to be listed. In the EU, certain fragrance components must be named on the label, which is why you may see names such as limonene or linalool after it.
What a list cannot tell you
An ingredient list shows what is in a product. It does not give exact amounts, and it says nothing about how you personally will respond. Formulas also change over time, and can differ between countries, so the pack in your hand is the one to trust.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, European Union
- Cosmetic Regulations, C.R.C., c. 869, Government of Canada
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