INCI of a product: what it is and how to read it

Taking care of our skin is a delicate matter. It is important to make the right choices from different perspectives: is it the best product for my skin type? Can it actually solve my particular issue? Does it meet my ethical expectations?

Often, to answer these questions and understand which products are the best and most suitable for one's needs, it is necessary to know how to read and understand the labels of various cosmetic products.

Unfortunately, this operation is not very simple, not only because the INCI is written in lowercase letters and in areas that are not very visible, but also because the international nomenclature is often completely unknown to those who are not in the industry.

But let's start from the beginning.

INCI is the acronym for International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredients, and it indicates the name used internationally to refer to all the components of various cosmetic products. By law, all products must list their ingredients on the packaging, so it is advisable not to purchase those that do not provide such a list.

The order of the ingredients

The order in which the ingredients are listed in the INCI can never be random; it must indeed comply with specific regulations. The ingredients are listed in order of weight, meaning that the ingredient present in the largest quantity is indicated first, followed by the substances with decreasing concentrations.

The only exception to this order occurs for all those ingredients that are present in the product in quantities of less than 1%; in this case, they can be listed in random order at the end of the list.

The name of the ingredients

"In addition to knowing the order in which they are listed, it is essential to have a general understanding of the rules of nomenclature. Commonly used ingredients are, in fact, listed with the noun (generally in Latin) with which they are listed in the official pharmacopoeia."
Synthetic chemical substances, as well as plant derivatives that have undergone a chemical transformation, are referred to by their technical name in English. Plant derivatives that have not undergone any treatments other than extraction, on the other hand, are listed by the Latin botanical name of the plant of origin, and may be followed by the type of extract.  (always in English).

The dyes

The colorants are usually listed at the end of the entire list with the name assigned to them based on an international list that indicates the CI (“Color Index”) followed by an identifying number.

Some tips for interpreting the INCI

Knowing the types of ingredients present perfectly is essential, especially if you are about to purchase products for sensitive or reactive skin, which is easily prone to allergic reactions and therefore requires special attention.

Furthermore, when purchasing a cosmetic product, there are categories of ingredients that it would be preferable to avoid if one wants to make an ethical purchase.

For example, some surfactants that come from oil refining, such as SLES and SLS, are very polluting. Similarly, synthetic compounds like PEG, which are also derived from petroleum, are very harmful to the environment. These are used to mix water with greasier substances that, by nature, would never be able to bind together.

If you are not familiar with the English language or, even worse, Latin, don't be discouraged! Nowadays, there are dedicated websites online that, through specific apps, allow you to find everything you need, including the INCI table that contains all the most commonly used ingredients in cosmetics, categorized by their type and also taking into account other important criteria such as environmental impact.