The SkinSort Blog

Cosmetic INCI Names Explained

Updated: June 15, 2023

“What in the world is this ingredient?”

Have you ever looked at an ingredients list and had instant flashbacks to chemistry class? If so, you're not the only one.

That’s because you’re looking for Vitamin C and you’re seeing Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate.

This article will explain what INCI is with examples included. We'll also cover what common names mean. Armed with this knowledge, you'll be able to understand ingredients lists like a pro.

INCI Names Explained

This is because these ingredient names follow the INCI naming convention. INCI stands for International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient. This is a global system of naming ingredients. The International Nomenclature Committee (INC) oversees and regulates these names.

Most research papers and chemical manufacturers will refer to ingredients by their INCI name. This also helps standardize ingredients around the world. That way everyone can be on the same page. ☺️

Examples

Here are a few examples:

  • Purified Water has an INCI name of Water/Aqua/Eau
  • Vitamin E has an INCI name of tocopherol
  • Aloe Vera has an INCI Name of Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Examples of common name vs INCI name for cosmetic ingredients

Why do I see a common name?

So why do some ingredients use common names? Labels can use common names (such as Vitamin C or Green tea) instead of the INCI names.

However, this naming convention can cause some issues in understanding the ingredient.

Many common names don’t give us enough specifics about the ingredient. Going back to our Vitamin C example, INCI tells us there are many types of Vitamin C. Not all types of Vitamin C are created equally.

Vitamin Cs have varying shelf life and stability. If the ingredients label only shows us Vitamin C, we don’t get the whole picture.

If a label says Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, we can see this form of Vitamin C is more gentle for the skin. It is also more stable than other forms of Vitamin C when exposed to sunlight.

Learn More

If you are craving to learn more, we created a comprehensive guide to understanding ingredients lists here.