How to actually read a skincare ingredient list
INCI names look intimidating, but a label tells you almost everything if you know the five things to look for. A plain-language guide.
A cosmetic label in Malaysia lists ingredients using their INCI names, the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It looks like Latin because a lot of it is, but the label is the most honest thing on any skincare box, and once you know how to read it you will never shop the same way again.
1. Order is dosage, roughly
Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration down to one percent, after which they can appear in any order. So the first five ingredients are most of the product. If a "rosehip facial oil" lists sunflower oil first and rosehip near the bottom, you are mostly buying sunflower oil. On our Renewing Facial Oil, rosehip and jojoba lead the list on purpose.
2. Water is not a cheat
Aqua at the top of a cream or toner is normal and necessary; hydration needs water. What matters is what comes with it. A hydrating toner should follow water with humectants like glycerin, sodium hyaluronate or panthenol, not just fragrance and preservative.
3. The star active is rarely first
Powerful actives work at low percentages, so Vitamin C, retinal or peptides usually sit in the middle of the list. That is fine. Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate at the two percent mark is doing real work. The trick is to make sure the active is actually present, not just named on the front of the box.
4. Know your preservative
Every water-based product needs a preservative or it grows bacteria and mould, which is far worse for your skin than the preservative. We use gentle food-grade systems like sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. "Preservative-free" water-based skincare is either dishonest or unsafe.
5. The asterisk tells a story
On our labels, an asterisk marks a certified-organic ingredient. It is a small mark that represents a documented, monitored supply chain. When a brand bothers to certify and mark its ingredients, it is usually telling you something true about how it sources.
Read three labels this way and the whole shelf reorganises itself. The quiet, honest products move to the front, and the ones selling a pretty front-of-box move to the back.
Rachel LaiFounder & Formulator, Nova
