Decoding Cosmetic Labels: Ingredients, Claims and Dates
A cosmetic label carries a mix of regulated information and unregulated marketing, printed in the same typeface. Knowing which is which makes the whole category easier to shop.
The ingredient list is ordered
Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration, down to a threshold below which they may appear in any order. This means:
- The first few ingredients are most of the product. Usually water, then whatever gives it texture.
- An ingredient near the end is present in a small amount, however prominently it appears on the front of the pack.
- A "star" ingredient listed after the preservatives is present at a low level. This is one of the most useful things a label tells you.
Ingredient names follow an international naming convention, so the same ingredient has the same name across brands and countries, even when the marketing name differs.
Claims: regulated and not
- Sun protection factor and broad-spectrum claims are tested and regulated. These are meaningful.
- "Dermatologically tested" means testing happened. It does not state the result or the sample size.
- "Hypoallergenic" has no consistent legal definition in most markets.
- "Non-comedogenic" is likewise not a regulated standard, and whether a product breaks you out is individual.
- "Clean", "natural", "chemical free" — marketing terms. Everything is a chemical, including water.
- Cosmetic claims cannot legally be medical claims. A product promising to treat a condition is either a medicine or overstating.
Dates and symbols
- The open jar symbol with a number and M — how many months the product lasts after opening. This is the one people ignore and it matters, particularly for anything used near the eyes and for sunscreen.
- A best-before date appears on products with a shelf life under thirty months.
- Batch codes allow a product to be traced, and some brands can tell you the manufacture date from one.
Write the opening date on the pack. Products degrade, and an old sunscreen or eye product is worth replacing regardless of how much is left.
Percentages
Some brands state active percentages and some do not. A stated percentage is useful, but it is not the whole story: formulation, pH and stability all affect whether an ingredient does anything. A higher percentage is not automatically better, and for several well-known actives it simply increases irritation without increasing benefit.
Fragrance
Listed as a single term covering a mixture, with specific allergens named separately where required. If your skin reacts unpredictably to products, fragrance is the first thing to eliminate, since it is the most common cause and the easiest to test by removing.
Before you order
Check where the advertised ingredient sits in the list. Check the period-after-opening figure against how fast you use that type of product. Check for fragrance if you react easily. And check the return policy on opened cosmetics, which most retailers do not accept — buy the smallest size when trying something new.