By Terre d'Ecologis
On the back of every cosmetic sold in Europe is a list of ingredients, written in a language common to all countries: the INCI nomenclature (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients). Plants are named in Latin, molecules in English. This list is mandatory and it is the only information that can truly be compared from one product to another. Here is how to use it.
Three rules for reading an INCI list
- Order matters. Ingredients are listed in decreasing order of quantity; below 1%, they may be listed in any order. The first name is the main ingredient; often it is Aqua, water
- Latin designates the plant. Olea Europaea is the olive tree, Argania Spinosa the argan tree, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis the sweet almond tree, Salvadora persica the arak tree from which siwak is obtained. The word that follows specifies the part used: Fruit Oil, Kernel Oil, Seed Oil, Root
- A soap is read differently. Sodium Olivate is olive oil transformed into soap by soda; Potassium Olivate, the same thing with potash, for a liquid soap. Sodium Hydroxide and Potassium Hydroxide appear in the list because they are used for this transformation
Why a short list is easier to understand
A list of four names can be checked in ten seconds. A list of thirty names requires a dictionary. With a short list, you know what you are putting on your skin: each ingredient fulfils a function in the formula, and you can name it.
What a short list does not say
Short is not synonymous with good, and long is not synonymous with bad. A cream, for example, is a mixture of water and oil; it needs an emulsifier to hold them together and a preservative because water becomes contaminated. Its list will inevitably be longer than that of a pure oil, without that being a fault. The right reflex is not to count the names but to be able to say what each one is for.
A detail worth knowing: when a product contains an essential oil, some of its natural components, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, must be listed beyond a certain threshold, because they are allergens that must be declared. They lengthen the list without any ingredient having been added.
Examples of short lists
- Savon d'Alep Tradition: Sodium Olivate, Aqua, Sodium Laurus Nobilate, Sodium Hydroxide. Olive oil, water, laurel berry oil, soda. Four names, a detailed production process here
- Liquid Aleppo soap: Aqua, Potassium Olivate, Glycerin, Potassium Laurus Nobilate, Potassium Hydroxide. The same duo of oils, saponified with potash to remain liquid
- Jojoba oil: Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil. A single name
- Organic shea butter: Butyrospermum Parkii Butter. A single name
- Alum stone: Potassium Alum. A mineral, nothing else
- Siwak toothbrush: Salvadora persica. A root, instructions for use here
- Aleppo soap flakes for laundry: the same soap, grated. You wash your laundry with the shortest list on the shelf
The simple step
Turn the product over before buying it and read the full list. If the first names mean something to you, you know the essentials of what you are buying. For a question about the composition of one of our products, contact us.
