INCI ingredient list
What is an INCI ingredient list?
An INCI ingredient list is the ingredient declaration on a cosmetic pack, written in the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients: aqua, glycerin, parfum. It is introduced by the word “Ingredients” and ordered by decreasing quantity. INCI names are identical in every country and are never translated, unlike the rest of the mandatory text on the label.
Example
A natural cosmetics brand launches a 50 ml hand cream. The tube has to carry the nominal content, the function of the product, a durability date or the open-jar symbol with the months after opening, the batch number, the name and address of the responsible person in the EU, the warnings and the ingredients. The ingredients follow the word “Ingredients”, in order of decreasing quantity; anything below 1% may appear in any order after those above 1%; colourants with CI numbers may be listed in any order after the rest; fragrance is “parfum”, with the allergens listed in the regulation named individually; a nanomaterial is followed by “[nano]”. On a 15 ml tube the space runs out, the list moves to an enclosed leaflet, and the pack keeps the symbol of a hand pointing at an open book.
Why it matters for a business
The ingredient list is not a design decision. It is required by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, supplied by the manufacturer or the laboratory, and vouched for by the responsible person in the EU, who also notifies the product through the CPNP portal before it is sold. INCI names are not translated, while the language of the other mandatory information is set by the country where the product is made available. For the label that means space: a solid block of ingredient names takes more room than anyone expects, and the text still has to be legible and indelible. Claims on the pack are regulated as well, under the common criteria of Regulation (EU) No 655/2013. Change the formula after the labels are printed and the whole run is waste.
What to ask
- Who supplies the INCI list and confirms the order of the ingredients — the manufacturer or the lab?
- Is there a responsible person in the EU, and has the product been notified in the CPNP?
- Are there fragrance allergens that have to be named individually?
- How much room is left for the list on the smallest pack, and does the text stay legible?
- For export markets, which part of the text is translated and which part stays as it is?
Laying out the mandatory text on a label is part of the packaging and labels we design; the formula itself comes from the manufacturer.