Ingredient Decoder

INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients — the standardized naming system regulators require on every cosmetic label. Ingredients are listed from highest to lowest concentration down to 1%, after which they can appear in any order. That means the first five to seven ingredients usually make up the bulk of the formula, while anything trailing fragrance or a preservative is likely below 1%. Reading the order tells you whether an active is doing real work or just window-dressing.

Each ingredient you paste is matched against a curated database scored on three axes: comedogenic rating (0 to 5, based on the Fulton scale), irritancy potential (informed by the Draelos irritancy index), and known fungal-acne triggers. Ratings are cross-referenced with the EWG Skin Deep database and the European Commission's CosIng directory, then weighted against the skin type and sensitivities you select. Anything flagged links back to the source data so you can verify the call yourself.

Cosmetic ingredients often have an INCI name, a chemical name, and one or more trade names. Vitamin C, for example, may appear as Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, or Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate — each a different derivative with its own stability and strength. The decoder normalizes these aliases so a single ingredient is not double-counted and you can see the actual form being used.

No. Natural is a marketing term, not a regulatory one, and plenty of plant-derived ingredients are highly comedogenic or irritating — coconut oil rates a 4 on the comedogenic scale, and essential oils like lavender and citrus are among the most common contact allergens. Conversely, synthetic ingredients like dimethicone and niacinamide are non-comedogenic and well-tolerated. Judge each ingredient on its evidence, not its origin story.

Yes. Select Oily or Combination as your skin type and the analysis prioritizes pore-clogging risk: any ingredient rated 3 or higher on the comedogenic scale is flagged as a red flag, ratings of 1 to 2 are surfaced as worth watching, and known fungal-acne triggers (esters and fatty acids with C11 to C24 chains) are called out separately. Concentration matters too — a comedogenic ingredient near the end of the list carries less risk than one in the first five.

Use the 1% line as a reference. Preservatives like phenoxyethanol are almost always used at or below 1%, so any ingredient listed after them is in trace amounts. Fragrance (Parfum) is another common 1% marker. If a brand advertises a hero active like retinol or niacinamide, look for it in the first half of the list — if it sits behind the preservative, it is likely below an effective dose, regardless of what the marketing claims.

Fragrance-free means no fragrance ingredients have been added to the product. Unscented usually means masking agents have been added to neutralize the smell of other ingredients — which is still fragrance, just not a pleasant one. If you have sensitive or reactive skin, look for fragrance-free and scan the list for Parfum, Fragrance, essential oils, and Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, or Geraniol — all common fragrance allergens that must be disclosed under EU labeling rules.