When looking for a cosmetic product’s ingredients on its packaging, have you noticed the four-letter combination INCI? This nomenclature indicates the composition and the order of ingredients in the product. And perhaps you have wondered – why is the ingredient list not written in Latvian, but most often in Latin or English? Then read on and get a better picture of the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients.
SILMACHY cosmetics
According to 2023 data, revenue in the beauty and personal care market in 2023 reached just over 570 billion US dollars. The market is expected to grow by 3.80% annually. The largest segment of the market is personal care, with a market volume of 253.30 billion US dollars in 2023.[1] People use beauty products to improve their appearance and take care of themselves and their bodies. More and more attention is being paid to facial and body skincare, healthy-looking hair and body scent, improving both appearance and health.[2]
INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) are internationally recognised, unified names of cosmetic ingredients that show the exact names of the ingredients used in a particular product.[3] Wondering why international? Well, companies that make various beauty products, such as creams, serums, lotions, soaps, cosmetic oils and other products, order their raw materials from a manufacturer. But if each ingredient isn’t named or defined correctly, there is a high chance the business will order the wrong product, which would only create chaos and confusion. That is why each ingredient has its own name that is internationally accepted in all European Union countries. The ingredients used must be listed using the internationally accepted names found in the glossary.[4] A glossary is an explanation or translation of difficult words.[5] So the specific names of cosmetic ingredients are collected in one place, so that they are understandable to everyone reading cosmetic labels throughout Europe.
When buying any product, the INCI composition must always be stated on the packaging – it helps the consumer understand which ingredients are used in the product. Most often it is shown on the packaging or label, and the information must be easy to read and indelible.[6] It is essential to include information about the product’s name, quality and safety, including how using the product may affect human health.[7]
The beauty sector also has a regulation that sets various requirements for products. Why is a Cosmetics Regulation needed? It is needed to meet all the necessary product quality requirements, giving the consumer correct, accurate and complete information about the product’s composition, use and effects.[8] For example, if a person is allergic to a particular ingredient, they have the opportunity to avoid it.
The European Union Cosmetics Regulation requires that the label or packaging also show the company’s name and address and the list of ingredients in descending order – that is, starting with the main ingredients that make up the largest part of the product and ending with those used least. For example, in a classic bottled shampoo the first ingredient will be AQUA, or water (up to 80% of the composition), then the surfactants, such as coco-betaine or sulphate salts, and the last ones may be various preservatives, fragrances and active ingredients (0.1–1%). Cosmetic products must include information on how to use the product and what it is intended for, including how to use it safely so the consumer can achieve the desired and most effective result. In addition, the exact expiry date must always be stated – more precisely, how long the product may be stored and used after opening – and the consumer must be able to find the product’s batch number on the packaging.[9]
Here are a few names – Cocos nucifera oil (coconut oil), Isoamyl laurate (an ingredient that reduces the greasiness of plant oils and helps them absorb into the skin more easily), Glycerin, Lavandula angustifolia flower extract (lavender flower extract), Xanthan gum. This is only a tiny fraction of possible ingredients, but you can see that their names are not in Latvian but in English, so that they can be understood across different cultures.
With respect and love,
Your Silmachy Cosmetics team (text by Evita Lībāne)
[1] https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/beauty-personal-care/worldwide
[2] https://cosmeticseurope.eu/cosmetic-products/
[3] https://www.personalcarecouncil.org/resources/inci/
[4] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredient-database/cosing-glossary-ingredients_en
[5] https://tezaurs.lv/glosārijs
[6] https://www.vi.gov.lv/lv/prasibas
[7] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02009R1223-20200501&from=EN
[8] https://cosmeticseurope.eu/cosmetics-industry/understanding-cosmetics-regulation/
[9] https://cosmeticseurope.eu/cosmetic-products/understanding-label/, https://www.vi.gov.lv/lv/prasibas, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02009R1223-20200501&from=EN