How to read an INCI list and understand your cosmetics
The INCI list allows you to identify the ingredients present in your cosmetics, understand their hierarchy, and spot those suitable for sensitive skin. To go further, also consult our advice on sensitive skin care and skin barrier ingredients that support skin repair.
How to Read an INCI List and Decipher Your Cosmetic Ingredients
The INCI list serves as a reliable guide to understanding the composition of a cosmetic product. It helps decipher what a formula truly contains, verify the consistency between marketing and the label, and identify the most relevant ingredients for your skin type.
What is the INCI list and why is it mandatory?
INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, a common international nomenclature that governs the writing of each ingredient on the packaging. This rule has been mandatory in Europe since 1998, making the ingredient list readable from one country to another.
Maria Devoghe emphasizes the practical benefit of this standardization: understanding the INCI list becomes simpler, even when the terms seem technical.
- Regulatory transparency: every ingredient present in the formula must appear in the ingredient list.
- Common language: the international nomenclature facilitates comparison between products, regardless of the brand.
- Useful identification: certain allergens must be indicated, which helps decipher points of vigilance.
In practice, reading requires a bit of getting used to: plant extracts often appear under Latin names, while other ingredients are written in English. This allows for a more precise reading of an ingredient list.
The Order of Ingredients in the INCI List Explained
To understand the INCI list, you must first look at the order of ingredients. In an INCI list, components are classified by decreasing concentration above 1%, then the order becomes more flexible below this threshold.
The top of the list therefore provides the most useful information. The first names often correspond to the backbone of the formula: aqua, humectants, fatty substances, or texturizing agents. For sensitive skin, an active ingredient highlighted on the bottle but relegated far down the list rarely has a significant impact in actual use.
| Position in the list | Indicative concentration | Typical examples |
| 1 to 5 | Often > 5% | Aqua, Glycerin, vegetable oils |
| 6 to 10 | Between 1% and 5% | Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Panthenol |
| Beyond 10th | Often < 1% | Fragrance, preservatives, colorants |
The first 3 to 5 elements often represent the bulk of a cosmetic product's composition, while fragrance, certain allergens, colorants, or an extract at the end of the list are present in smaller quantities.
How to Identify Natural and Synthetic Cosmetic Ingredients
The list follows a fairly stable logic, which helps to quickly decipher the origin of the components. Latin names generally refer to plants and botanical extracts, while many synthetic molecules are formulated in English.
Thus, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract or Helianthus Annuus Oil evoke a plant source. Conversely, Dimethicone indicates silicones, and alcohol refers to a type of solvent to be placed in the global context of the formula.
- Plant origin: Latin names often make it possible to recognize an extract, oil, or botanical butter.
- Synthetic origin: certain English terms refer to preservatives, texturizing agents, silicones, or solvents.
- Formula base: aqua often appears first in moisturizing textures.
In addition, deciphering mainly consists of linking the INCI name, its place in the list, and its function in the formula.
Which Ingredients to Prioritize When Examining an INCI List for Sensitive Skin
To read an INCI list when skin reacts easily, the most useful approach is to examine the first ten ingredients. Glycerin, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, or Ceramide NP suggest a formula that supports skin hydration and comfort.
Conversely, the skin barrier reacts when certain irritants occupy a high place in the ingredient list: aggressive sulfates, fragrance, denatured alcohol, notable quantities of alcohol, or colorants. A straightforward analysis remains the most useful: ingredient order, presence of allergens, and overall coherence of the formula.
Finally, Maria Devoghe recommends understanding the INCI list without searching for a "perfect" formula on paper. Reading an INCI list truly makes sense when compared with the skin's actual tolerance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I read and understand an INCI list on a cosmetic product?
Reading and understanding an INCI list relies on a simple rule: cosmetic ingredients are listed from most concentrated to least concentrated. The first names thus indicate the actual use of the product and provide a clear basis for understanding the composition of a cosmetic product.
Next, you need to decipher the names. Latin names most often refer to a plant extract, while English or chemical names more often designate a synthetic ingredient. In practice, for sensitive skin, understanding an INCI list mainly helps to quickly identify fragrance, silicones, and colorants, and to distinguish truly functional active ingredients from support ingredients.
How to use the INCI list to choose a product suitable for your skin?
To choose a product, the INCI list should be read before purchasing, not after. Prioritize a short formula with identifiable active ingredients at the beginning of the list, such as Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, or Panthenol, if your skin feels tight or reacts easily.
Additionally, check for the presence or absence of fragrance in the product's INCI, often indicated by "Parfum" or "Fragrance." Maria Devoghe applies this commitment to clarity in her COSMOS Ecocert certified formulas.
What does INCI deciphering reveal that the packaging doesn't?
Deciphering an INCI list shows that an active ingredient highlighted on the bottle may appear at the very end of the list, sometimes below the 1% threshold.
Therefore, reading also helps identify what the label less prominently features: silicones, colorants, or certain preservatives. This deciphering remains the most reliable basis for ingredient-by-ingredient evaluation of what a formula truly contains.
