How to Read a Cosmetic Ingredient List (INCI) in 5 Minutes

Turn any moisturiser around and you will find a block of tiny, Latin-sounding words. That is the INCI list (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients), and in many markets, including the EU, it is mandatory. It looks intimidating, but it follows a handful of rules. Once you know them, you can tell in seconds whether the ingredient on the front of the box is really doing the work.

Rule 1: order follows quantity, down to about 1%

Ingredients are listed from the highest concentration to the lowest. The first five or so usually make up most of the formula, which is why water (Aqua) so often comes first. The catch: ingredients present at 1% or less can be listed in any order after the others. Past that point, position tells you almost nothing.

Rule 2: use preservatives as a landmark

Preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and fragrance (Parfum) are typically used at around 1% or less. So anything listed after them is very likely present in small amounts. If the "star" extract on the packaging sits after the preservative, it is probably there in a small dose.

Small is not always weak. Some actives, like retinol, work at low concentrations. The 1% line tells you how much, not whether it works.

Rule 3: names are standardised, not friendly

INCI uses the same names worldwide so a label can be read in any country. Plants appear under their botanical Latin names: argan oil becomes Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, shea butter is Butyrospermum Parkii Butter. Extracts end in "extract", oils in "oil". Chemicals keep their chemical names, so Tocopherol is simply vitamin E and Sodium Hyaluronate is a form of hyaluronic acid.

Rule 4: colourants and allergens have their own spots

• Colourants are often grouped at the very end, sometimes as CI numbers (for example CI 77891, titanium dioxide), regardless of amount.
• "Parfum" or "Fragrance" is a single word that can cover a blend of many substances.
• Fragrance allergens such as limonene, linalool or citronellol must be named individually in the EU above set thresholds. If you react to fragrance, these are the names to look for.

What the list cannot tell you

• Exact percentages. Brands rarely publish them, which is why ingredient-scoring apps can only estimate.
• Quality and source. A refined and an unrefined oil can carry the same INCI name.
• How it feels and performs. Texture, finish, scent and whether it actually helped someone with skin like yours are not on the label.

Combine the label with real experience

An ingredient list answers "what is in it?". It cannot answer "did it work?". That second question is what reviews are for. On Ratee, you scan the barcode, glance at the label you just learned to read, then check how people who used it rated it, and ask them questions if your skin type or concern isn't covered yet.