Understanding Skincare Labels

Product labels can be confusing to say the least.

In the hope to help bring some clarity, here is the lowdown.

• INCI: An ‘INCI’ ( International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) is a list of the ingredients that you will find in the product. This listing ensures consistency across product types and countries. Usually, the ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration (highest percentage to lowest.) For example, it’s pretty normal to see water/aqua listed first, this is because active ingredients need a base and aqua (purified water), helps extract the other water-soluble compounds. However don’t be put off if some of the active ingredients you are looking for are near the middle or end of the list, some ingredients need to be included at a lower percentage to work, or improve the effectiveness of an ingredient that is higher up on the list.

• “Science sounding” ingredients: Doesn’t equal harsh. For example, Tocopherol Acetate ( Vitamin E) and Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (Vitamin C) are both amazing antioxidants that when combined give a more effective result and work wonders in your skincare routine.

• Shelf Life: The little jar icon indicates the shelf life after opening the product. For example, if it says 12M then your product will be good for 12 months after opening. This is particularly important with Sun Cream products and we recommend marking the base with the date it was opened. Usually a product that is in a jar and exposed frequently will have a shorter shelf life than those in airless containers or sealed pumps.

• “Buzz word" ingredients: Naturally, we all want to seek out the newest trends, the beauty industry is continually developing new ways to improve formulas, however that doesn’t necessarily mean that some of the ingredients that have been used for years should be avoided. Some ingredients that have been used for decades have stood the test of time for good reason. If in doubt, we are here to help you. 

You may wish to take a look at Our Ingredients page

with our very best wishes Karina, Graham, Adele and the Regentiv team Xxx