Checking ingredients in skincare: how it works
Posted: Β· Updated:
Until a few years ago, I had no idea what all those unreadable labels on skincare meant. Did you? When I started looking for products of 100% natural origin, I got lost in a forest of certifications - Ecocert, Natrue, Fairtrade - and an even bigger forest of complicated names like Dimethicone, Allantoin and Cyclo-whatsits. Did I have to look all of that up? And where could I actually check whether something was really vegan, cruelty-free or natural?
When we wanted to get Food for Skin certified, I really dug into it. What I discovered: there are great certifications, but also quite a few "we approve of ourselves" versions, mainly invented by the industry itself. Even the strictest standards allow ingredients that I don't think belong there. That's why we based our approach on the strict Natrue standard (not yet officially certified, as the costs are high), but honestly: even there, there are categories the consumer never gets to see.
My conclusion? A certification doesn't tell the whole story. Check the ingredients yourself, ask your favourite brand questions and stay curious. Because only when we as consumers are critical will the big players really change. But how do you actually check those ingredients?
What does INCI mean on cosmetics?
INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, the international naming system for cosmetic ingredients. And that's why the backs of packaging are so hard to read or recognise: you have to use the official names of the ingredients. Did you know, for example, that Solanum Lycopersicum is "just" a tomato? Neither did we!
When we started Food for Skin, we planned to list only "recognisable" ingredients on the back, not yet knowing about INCIs. It's good that there is one international standard for this, but does it really help consumers?
What the law requires for an ingredient list
What an ingredient list looks like is set out in the European Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Article 19. Six rules you'll see on every label:
- Ingredients are listed in order of weight, from most to least, measured at the moment they are added.
- Anything below 1% may be listed in any order, after the ingredients above 1%.
- Colourants may be listed at the end as a CI number, also in any order.
- Nanomaterials must have "[nano]" after their name.
- A fragrance blend may be summarised as "parfum" or "aroma". That can cover dozens of substances.
- Fragrance allergens from such a blend must, however, be listed separately by name if they are above a threshold.
Want to look up an ingredient? The European Commission has an official database of cosmetic ingredients: CosIng. For each substance you'll find the INCI name, its function and whether any restrictions apply.
Why ingredient lists are getting longer
Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 has applied since 31 July 2026. The number of fragrance allergens that must be listed separately on the label goes from 24 to around 80. They must be listed if they are above 0.001% in products that stay on your skin, and above 0.01% in products you rinse off.
Products that were already on the market under the old rules may still be sold until 31 July 2028. So for a while you'll see old and new labels side by side. Does a new label suddenly show a longer list? Then the product usually hasn't changed. More is simply being written down. You can find more information at Allergiecentra (in Dutch).
βCheck the ingredients yourself, ask your favourite brand questions and stay curious.β
Why checking the ingredients in cosmetics matters
Ingredients determine how good a product really is for your skin and for the planet. It's not just about avoiding microplastics, but also about silicones that can seal off your skin, fragrance that can cause irritation and allergens you'd rather not put on your skin every day. By reading labels or using an app, you quickly find out what's really in your jar. That way you can choose products that nourish your skin instead of burdening it.
Why choosing these cosmetics is much better for the planet, you can read here.
How can you check ingredients?
There are several ways to check ingredients:
-
Reading labels: decide which ingredients matter to you and look them up in the INCI list.
- Ingredient checker websites: enter your favourite product or an ingredient and find out how it scores.
-
INCI apps: scan the product and get an instant overview with scores.
-
Microplastic app: scan the barcode and see straight away whether it contains microplastics.
Which ingredients are good to see on the list?
A plant name on the list doesn't tell you how much is in it. So look at its position. If an extract comes after the preservative, it's usually present at a fraction of a percent. If it's at the top, it's the base of the product. Natural isn't automatically better, but this way you can see whether an ingredient really matters.
| INCI name | Common name | Function | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Juice | tomato juice | water phase | base of a cream, with naturally occurring antioxidants such as lycopene |
| Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice | aloe vera juice | water phase | softens and soothes |
| Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil | sunflower oil | oil | keeps the skin supple, rich in linoleic acid |
| Squalane | squalane (from olive) | emollient | resembles the skin's own sebum and supports the skin barrier |
| Butyrospermum Parkii Butter | shea butter | fat | nourishes and leaves a protective layer |
| Glycerin | glycerine | humectant | helps the skin retain moisture |
| Sodium Hyaluronate | hyaluronic acid | humectant | helps retain moisture, feels light |
| Tocopherol | vitamin E | antioxidant | protects the formula and the skin against oxidation |
| Bisabolol | bisabolol (from candeia) | conditioning | soothes the skin |
| Ubiquinone | Q10 | antioxidant | supports the skin against external influences |
| Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract | rosemary extract | antioxidant | keeps plant oils fresh for longer |
| Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract | carrot extract | conditioning | source of provitamin A |
Ingredient checkers compared
There are lots of apps and websites. They all look at things differently, so it helps to know where the information comes from.
| Tool | What it does | Where the information comes from | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| INCI Beauty | app and website, scan the barcode, the product gets a score | the makers' own rating per ingredient | the score is their own judgement; context such as quantity counts for little |
| INCIDecoder | website, explanation per ingredient and per product | own editorial team; product lists partly submitted by users | mainly big brands; product lists may be out of date |
| Paula's Choice Beautypedia | reviews of products and ingredients | the team of skincare brand Paula's Choice | a brand that sells its own products rates other brands |
| SkinSort | website, compares products and ingredients | own database of ingredient lists | mainly international brands; fewer Dutch products |
| COSMILE Europe | explanation per ingredient, in several languages | Cosmetics Europe, the trade association of the cosmetics industry | a reliable basis, but written from the industry's perspective; gives no rating per product |
| PlasticFreeFuture | app, scan the label for microplastics | Plastic Soup Foundation | only looks at plastics, not at other ingredients |
The PlasticFreeFuture app is made by the Plastic Soup Foundation. With 1 photo of the label, you'll know whether your product contains harmful microplastics. We challenge you to scan your bathroom! Download it here and read more here about our partnership.
Why do apps give different results?
The same ingredient list can score green in one app and orange in another. That's because each one measures something different. One looks at the possible risks of a substance, regardless of the amount. Another looks at its function in the product. And sometimes the position of a substance in the list counts, sometimes it doesn't. A preservative present at a fraction of a percent in a cream can turn red in one app and go unnoticed in another.
So use an app as a starting point. Decide what matters to you, look at the order of the list yourself and ask the brand questions.
Checking ingredients with Food for Skin
At Food for Skin, we make it easy for you. On every product you'll find the official INCI list, so everything is shown transparently and in line with the rules. You can also find our products in the INCI Beauty app by scanning the barcode. But because those names often look like gibberish, we translate them on our product pages into clear, plain explanations. That way you know exactly which vegetable, oil or vitamin you're applying, without having to google it. In our ingredient list you'll find the ingredients of all our products in one place, along with their properties.
Conclusion: an ingredient checker gives you more control over your cosmetics
Checking the ingredients in cosmetics sounds easy, but I know from experience that it can be quite complicated: certifications that promise all sorts of things, INCI names I could barely pronounce and apps that contradicted each other. Still, I gradually learned that with a bit of curiosity and the right tools - reading labels, an ingredient checker, an INCI app - you really can get a grip on what you put on your skin every day. Microplastics are part of that, but it's mainly about the bigger picture. My advice: keep asking questions, including of your favourite brand. That's the only way we can make the market a little fairer and more transparent together.
