How to decipher a cosmetic label?

Small guide to reading cosmetic packaging.

One thing is certain, in the world of cosmetics, there are many offers. It is not always easy to navigate and make an informed choice. Helping you understand the labels of your cosmetic treatments is part of our mission. We've put together this short guide for you to help anyone new to reading and deciphering cosmetic product labels.

The ingredients

What is called "INCI" (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) is the legal statement of the ingredients present in the cosmetic product. It is a mandatory mention, you will always find it on the packaging of your cosmetic product.

What you need to know:

Generally speaking, the first 5 ingredients on the list correspond to 90-95% of the formula. Ideally, look for formulas in which these first ingredients meet your expectations. This is a first indicator of the quality of a product. The very last line of the composition features the less concentrated ingredients of the formula. We often find allergens (linalool, limonene, citronellol) are allergens naturally present in natural ingredients. They can be an indicator of the naturalness of the ingredients.

What you can do easily:

• Use decryption applications as a database to better understand the ingredients

Deciphering apps can be used to enlighten you on the ingredients of a product. Be careful, however, to keep a certain distance and to read the details of the information given to you. Note, for example, that some ingredients are rated very low simply because they are allergens. On the other hand, it happens that compositions are not referenced in their entirety (leaving out the most problematic ingredients).

Claire App, the application of the FEBEA (Federation of Beauty Companies)

It allows you to scan a list of ingredients or to search ingredient by ingredient. The +: it gives you details on the function of each ingredient.

INCI Beauty App

This application allows you to scan a product or search for it manually. It gives you an overall rating with some details on each ingredient.

• Identify the preservative + perfume and check their height in the composition.

As a reminder, the higher an ingredient is in the composition, the more it is concentrated in the formula. Conventional preservatives: parabens, glycol ethers (such as phenoxyethanol). Natural preservatives: Benzoic acid, Sorbic acid, Salicylic acid

Note apart : some ingredients are naturally very low in the list. This is the case with hyaluronic acid. This is because it does not need a high concentration of the ingredient for it to be effective. Consult the list of ingredients removed from our formulas .

The pictograms

The conservation pictograms show you how many months you can keep your cosmetic treatments after opening. These storage periods remain correct insofar as you keep your cosmetic treatments away from direct exposure to the Sun, that you close their jar or tube correctly and that you do not alter the product yourself. / p>