Collect the exact formula
Start with the final production formula, not a draft recipe or a social media version. You need every ingredient, percentage, supplier and trade name. If you use a pre-blended base, fragrance, extract, preservative or colour dispersion, get the supplier's cosmetic documentation so you know what must appear on the finished label.
A good INCI worksheet has columns for trade name, INCI name, percentage, function, supplier, document date and notes. This looks boring, but it saves time when a supplier updates a fragrance allergen declaration or when a retailer asks why an ingredient appears on the label.
- Use the final formula version.
- Record supplier document dates.
- Separate trade names from INCI names.
Translate each material to the right name
Replace common names with the required cosmetic names. Almond oil becomes Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil. Cocoa butter becomes Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter. Distilled water is usually Aqua. Do not invent names, shorten botanical names or combine several materials into one friendly phrase.
For blended ingredients, look for the composition disclosed by the supplier. A botanical extract might include the extract, glycerin, water and a preservative. A vitamin blend might include several tocopherols in a carrier oil. The finished INCI list needs to reflect the real cosmetic ingredients.
Sort by descending weight
List ingredients in descending order by weight at the time they are added to the product. In a cream, that usually puts water near the front. In a balm, the largest oil, butter or wax usually comes first. In a scrub, sugar or salt may dominate if the product is still a cosmetic and not a food.
After all ingredients above 1%, ingredients below 1% may generally be listed in any order. Many makers group small ingredients in a tidy order, but accuracy comes before aesthetics. If a formula change moves an ingredient above or below 1%, review the order again.
Handle fragrance and allergens
Declare fragrance compositions as Parfum unless a different term is appropriate for the product and documentation. For lip flavours, Aroma may be relevant. The fragrance's marketing name does not belong in the ingredient list, even if it is helpful on the front label.
Then calculate declarable fragrance allergens from the finished formula. If a leave-on product uses 0.8% fragrance and the fragrance contains 0.3% linalool, the finished product contains 0.0024% linalool. That can matter because leave-on cosmetic thresholds are low. Rinse-off products use a higher threshold, but still need calculation.
- Use finished-product percentages.
- Use the current allergen declaration from the fragrance supplier.
- Review EU expanded allergen requirements and transition dates for EU sales.
Add colourants and special declarations
Cosmetic colourants often use CI numbers. Decorative cosmetics sold in several shades can have special may contain or +/- formats, but a small skincare maker should not copy makeup label conventions unless they actually apply. For one fixed shade, list the colourants used in that product.
Nanomaterials need the nano declaration after the ingredient name where applicable. Some ingredients also have restrictions, permitted uses or warning requirements in the annexes to cosmetic rules. The INCI list does not replace the safety assessment that checks these conditions.
Check the final label context
The ingredients list should be headed by Ingredients and placed where the customer can read it. On very small products, the list may need outer packaging, a tag, leaflet or point-of-sale notice depending on the product and market. Do not let a beautiful container choice make compliance impossible.
Before printing, read the label as a consumer would. Is the product function clear? Are warnings near the directions? Does the INCI list match the formula and scent? Are spelling and capitalization consistent? This review is simple, but it catches expensive artwork mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
Do I list ingredients before or after heating?
For EU-style cosmetic labels, the ingredient order is based on the weight of ingredients at the time they are added to the product.
Can I hide a preservative inside an extract?
No. If the preservative is part of the cosmetic ingredient composition that must be declared, it should appear in the finished ingredient list.
Is Parfum enough for a scented product?
Not always. Parfum identifies the fragrance composition, but declarable fragrance allergens may also need to be listed when thresholds are exceeded.
Should INCI names be translated?
The INCI ingredient names generally stay in the cosmetic nomenclature. Other label information, such as warnings and product function, may need local language wording.
Can I copy a competitor's INCI list?
No. Even similar products can use different suppliers, fragrance allergens, preservatives and concentrations. Write the list from your own formula.