What really is in jar of cream? That is, how to read the cosmetics compositions.

Millions of cosmetics to choose from, strange names of specifics and their miraculous properties. How do you feel confident that the product you are purchasing contains the ingredients you mean? How not to spend the top of money on a product that contains traces of valuable ingredients?

Just turn box… and read.

First we find the abbreviation INCI. What is INCI?

INCI is an English abbreviation for: International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It is a system designed to harmonise the naming of cosmetic raw materials used in their production. The INCI system is used by both the countries of the European Union and the United States or Japan. INCI is to facilitate the identification of ingredients contained in cosmetics around the world.

After INCI the ingredients of the cosmetic are replaced. Important What order? Important.

At the beginning of the composition there are always substances, which is the most in the cosmetic (their concentration is highest). In turn, the raw materials are exchanged with decreasing concentration until we reach concentrations of 1% and less. Components whose cosmetic content is less than 1% are exchanged at the end.

What can we usually find in the components? The basic composition of cosmetics is divided into several categories of substances
• base substances
• excipients
• active ingredients
• preservatives
• fragrances
• dyes

Cosmetic base ingredients

The base substances of the cosmetic base can represent up to over 90% of the composition. Depending on the type of cosmetic product, its form and purpose may be: water, alcohol or raw fat. The most popular raw material that appears at the beginning of the composition is water (INCI: Aqua). However, manufacturers may not use ordinary tap water, it must be chemically pure water? Cosmetic base is extremely important because it largely determines the speed of penetration of active ingredients into the skin.

Excipients – How do they help?

They help to combine water and fat in a sustainable way to achieve the right consistency and stability of the cosmetic product. This includes emulsifiers that combine the water and oil phases into emulsions, i.e. Cream, lotion. It is an extremely complex group of substances. They are individually selected for a given cosmetic.

Active ingredients-the most important?

Active ingredients, that is what distinguishes the cosmetic and we want to know if the product is sure and how much it contains. As the name suggests, these are substances that actively affect our skin and improve its condition. In this group we will find e.g. UV filters, some vitamins, flavonoids, or oxidizers. The active substances may affect the skin and its enzymes in a complex way. May reduce sebum secretion, soothe irritations or stimulate microcirculation.

Preservatives – Why are they important?

Preservatives protect the cosmetic against the development of viruses, bacteria and fungi. This is a very important cosmetic ingredient, although its concentration is low, usually below 1%. Cosmetic preservatives are mainly synthetic substances, the quantity of which is chosen individually for each cosmetic product, in accordance with the limits set by the expert panel of the European Commission.

Fragrances – cream on smell

Smell of cosmetic is largely determined by its acceptance. Fragrance composition often masks the unpleasant smell of other raw materials. They’re at the end of the composition, in ingredients with a concentration below 1%. Flavouring substances may be a ready-made synthetic mixture introduced into the product and appear under the general name INCI: Parfum.

Dyes or additives that give colour to cosmetic

Dyes are additives that give the colour of cosmetic and/or colouring skin, hair, nails. Their INCI name consists of a CI shortcut. followed by several digits identifying the substance e.g. CI 12370. Cosmetic dyes are often metal oxides, but you can also meet organic dyes e.g. curcumin or chlorophyll.

And you already know ? On the cosmetic package, among the ingredients look for those active. Then you look at their location and if the ingredient you’re interested in is at the end of the list… You put a miracle on the shelf back. If the percentage of the component is less than 1%, in the jar is the trace its quantity. And then the effects will not be, even the string at the front of package words screaming differently ?