How to read a skin-care ingredient label
Reading the ingredient list of a cosmetic product can be quite daunting given the scientific names and complex terms. However, understanding these lists is crucial if you want to be informed about what you're applying to your skin, hair, or nails. After all, relying solely on the marketing buzz words slapped on a product is an unwise choice. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to read and understand the ingredient list of a cosmetic product:
- Understand the Order:Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration, starting with the highest amount. This means the first ingredient on the list is the most abundant in the product and the last one is the least abundant. However, ingredients present at a concentration of less than 1% (usually the bottom half of the list) can be listed in any order after those above 1%.
- Watch Out for Irritants:The FDA does not require brands to list out the compounds (sometimes 30 or more) in their fragrance mixtures. Many of these compounds have been found to be potential irritants. Certain botanicals and extracts have also proven to be potentially irritating. Learn more about what ingredients you should avoid.
- Know the Basics:Skin care ingredients can be grouped into classes. I’ve provided some examples of each and what concentrations you might expect them to appear.
- Solvents: Serves the function of suspending and activating ingredients (Usually around 40%-60% of a formula)
- Water
- Oil
- Alcohol
- Propylene glycol
- Occlusives: Traps water in the dermis (around 10%-20%)
- Mineral oil
- Petrolatum
- Shea
- Waxes
- Paraffin
- Dimethicone
- Emollients: improve product glide and finish. (5%-10%)
- Jojoba oil
- Squalene
- Isopropyl myristate
- Cetyl Alcohol
- Emulsifiers: Help to keep water and oil-based ingredients mixed (5%-10%)
- Polysorbates
- Lecithin
- Stearic acid
- Cetearyl alcohol
- Humectants: Have an affinity for water. (3%-8%)
- Glycerin
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Sodium PCA
- Sorbitol
- Actives: Affects beneficial biochemical change in the skin. (>1%-8%)
- Retinol
- Niacinamide
- Ascorbic acid
- Alpha, Beta, and Polyhydroxy acids
- Stabilizers: Designed to regulate the pH and extend the chemical activity of a product. (1%-5%)
- Xanthan gum
- Carbomer
- Disodium EDTA
- Tocopherol
- Sodium Citrate
- Preservatives: generally deemed to be safe (>1%-3%)
- Phenoxyethanol
- Sodium benzoate
- Potassium sorbate
- Caprylyl glycol
- Glycerin
- Benzoic Acid
- Sorbic acid
EDC's, Potential Irritants and or potential allergens you may want to limit your exposure to.
Read about what skincare ingredients you should avoid here.
Fragrances: Often only listed as “fragrance” these can contain: (>1%)
- Limonene
- Linalool
- Geraniol
- Citronellol
- Benzy salicylate
- Cinnamal
Formaldehyde releasing compounds:
- 2-Bromo-2-nitro-1,3-propane-diol
- Diazolidinyl urea
- DMDM hydantoin
- Imidazolidinyl urea
- Qaternium-15
- Sodium hydroxylmethylglycinate
Preservatives to watch out for
- Benzisothiazololinone
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- Methylisothiazolinone or MI
- Parabens (very low occurrence of allergy, however, have been shown to bind to estrogen receptors and act as EDC's)
The above list is by no means comprehensive so if you encounter an ingredient that you are not familiar with, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin-Deep Database, COSDNA, or INCI Decoder where you can check the safety and function of unfamiliar ingredients.
Now, for the part that you might not like so much.
Below is a generalized diagram of a typical ingredient list on an otc skin-care product. This goes for even the expensive ones! I've categorized and grouped the ingredients in a very generalized way, but it should give you a pretty clear picture of what you are spending your money on when you buy your water-based face cream whether it's at Neimans or CVS.
As you can see, with traditionally formulated skincare, there is usually very little in the way of active ingredients. It mostly consists of ingredients that serve the formula and not necessarily your skin and may only contain one or two active ingredients in effective concentrations. In fact, the vast majority of otc skin-care products do not contain ANY ingredients at effective concentrations. This is one of the reasons I created illumenase. The only way to make more room for actives is to omit the ingredients that only exist to serve the formula but in order to do that, you have to keep the solvent out until you are ready to use the product. Very few products like illumenase exist that aren't only available to professionals, but trend suggests that anhydrous skincare will become more and more common in the years to come for many reasons.
Hopefully now you feel a little more empowered!
HAVE A QUALITY DAY!
Mathew B Mayer
