How to read an ingredient list
The order tells you more than the marketing on the front of the bottle.
Order is concentration, up to a point
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight — but only down to 1%. Below that threshold, manufacturers may list in any order they choose.
This matters more than it sounds. Many actives are effective at well under 1%, so their position near the end tells you nothing. But if a product is marketed on an ingredient that appears after the preservatives and the fragrance, that ingredient is present in a token amount.
Find the 1% line
Look for these, which are almost always used below 1%:
- Phenoxyethanol
- Sodium hydroxide
- Xanthan gum
- Tocopherol
- Disodium EDTA
- Fragrance / parfum
Anything listed after the first of these is present at under 1%. Anything listed before it is above.
What the first five tell you
The first five ingredients are the bulk of the formula, and they determine how a product feels and behaves. Water first is normal. If the second or third ingredient is a heavy oil or butter, expect a rich texture. If it is alcohol denat., expect a fast-drying, potentially drying formula.
Names worth recognising
- Aqua / water — the base of most products
- Glycerin — a workhorse humectant, cheap and genuinely effective
- Dimethicone — a silicone; smooths, seals, does not clog for most people
- Alcohol denat. / SD alcohol — drying if high in the list; harmless near the end
- Cetyl / cetearyl / stearyl alcohol — fatty alcohols, which are moisturising, not drying. Different things entirely, despite the shared word.
- Parfum / fragrance — may represent dozens of undisclosed compounds
- Phenoxyethanol — a common, well-tolerated preservative
Claims that mean nothing
"Dermatologist tested" says a dermatologist was involved. It does not say what they concluded.
"Non-comedogenic" and "hypoallergenic" are unregulated in most markets. Neither is verified by anyone.
"Clean", "natural", and "chemical-free" have no agreed definitions. Poison ivy is natural; water is a chemical.
"Fragrance-free" is the useful one. It has a real meaning, and if your skin is reactive it is the single most reliable label to look for.
Ingredients mentioned
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