People today are aware of the importance of reading and understanding food and ingredients of cosmetics labels. We tend to stop and read the list of ingredients before we add the product to our shopping basket. Usually, in cosmetic products, the list is in Old Latin or in official terms of the world of chemistry. Therefore the labels confuse the customer who wants to know what the product really contains. In this article, we will try to explain how to read the list of ingredients in cosmetics.
It is obligatory that the ingredients of the cosmetic product will be printed on its label.
The components appear in descending order of concentration in the product. Thus, the first ingredient listed in the list is found in the product in the largest quantity and the last in the smallest quantity. Ingredients less than 1% are the last and the order is not mandatory. Many of the ingredient lists of cosmetic products are in old Latin, in accordance with the world standards per the INCI list. INCI stands for the International Nomenclature for Cosmetic Ingredients.
Usually, the botanical name of medicinal herbs is accompanied by the popular name of the plant. In the case of man-made substances, the name is the chemical name of the molecule.
Today we have enough information on the Internet to identify the ingredients in most of the available cosmetic products. Most products are similar with only slight differences in odor or color. In addition, there is a lot of information on the known effects of many of the ingredients that cosmetic companies have been using. Companies add tens of thousands of substances so we can’t list them all but here are a few preliminary recommendations.
Recommendations on How To Read the Labels of cosmetic product ingredients.
We suggest that you start at the end of the cosmetic product list, where the preservatives are listed. Try to avoid the following substances: Paraben, DMDM Hydantoin, Imidsazolidinyl urea, methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI), triclosan, triethanolamine (TEA). Parabens affect the hormonal system.
When water appears as a major component in creams (as opposed to soap), preservatives must be present in this product even if they do not appear clearly in the list. Not all preservatives are required according to the regulation to be detailed, especially if they are below a certain percentage of the cosmetic product.
Try to avoid products containing their name -eth in the middle (such as sodium Laureth sulfate – SLS). In creams, you should avoid ingredients that begin with PEG such as polyethylene glycol. These substances are irritants and may cause various skin problems.
Finally, go through the middle of the list. You can find some common but not necessary ingredients that can increase the risk of health issues. Look for the label “FRAGRANCE”, “FD & C”, OR “D & C”. These ingredients can be allergenic.
There is a connection between the prolonged use of cosmetics and the effect on our health and environment. Not all cosmetic products are safe for you! We have seen throughout the years the beautiful labels and big promises of many well-known cosmetic companies. We need to understand that what makes a product to be good or bad for you, is the list of ingredients.
Marking the Products in “Lavender All Natural Cosmetics”
In “Lavender Natural Cosmetics“, we take very seriously the necessity to list the ingredients we use. In all of our packaging, you will find the list of ingredients in Hebrew and also in English. We keep our information transparent by listing all of the components of our products in a language you can understand. So each customer can know exactly what the product contains. You can know without the need for a magnifying glass or a chemical dictionary.
All written on the site is based on the opinion of the writers and their best experience and is not a substitute for a medical opinion.
In building the tips we have used a lot in the article on the EWG-
http://www.ewg.org/Healthy-Home-Tips-01