What the INCI list is and how it is ordered on the label

INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It is the shared naming system that lets a shopper in Lisbon and one in Helsinki read the same ingredient the same way. It is never translated, not even for the Spanish market.

What order the ingredients go in

Descending order of weight at the time of incorporation. Whatever there is most of comes first. With one very relevant exception: ingredients below 1 per cent concentration may be listed in any order after those above 1 per cent.

That explains something many brands discover late: the hero active of the campaign can appear near the end of the list because it is used at 0.5 per cent. It is legal, it is normal and it is what you would expect from many actives. But it is worth getting ahead of that conversation, because some customers read the list and draw conclusions.

How the first positions read

In most emulsions the first three or four places are water, an emollient and an emulsifier. That is not a sign of poor formulation: it is how a cream works. Explaining it openly on the product page rather than on the pack usually builds more trust than hiding it.

Special cases

• Colourants: listed with their colour index number at the end of the list, in any order.
• Shade ranges: make-up sold in several shades may use the grouped colourant formula with the wording the regulation provides.
• Fragrance: declared as Parfum, and flavour as Aroma, without breaking down the composition.
• Fragrance allergens: the regulated ones must be declared separately above the set thresholds. The European list has been expanded substantially, with different transition periods for new products and for stock already on the market, so confirm the current position before printing.
• Nanomaterials: identified with the word nano in brackets after the ingredient.

How to lay it out without making it unreadable

The regulation requires the information to be indelible, easily legible and visible. In practice, five rules solve almost everything:

• Choose the typeface by its x-height, not its nominal size. A grotesque with a generous x-height complies in less vertical space.
• Do not go below a size that reads comfortably at thirty centimetres.
• Avoid light grey on white and type over imagery.
• Do not split the list across two faces of the pack.
• Add one more point of leading than your eye asks for: a tight INCI block turns into a grey smudge.

Two columns beats small type

When the list is long, the instinct is to shrink the type. It almost always works better to keep the size and move to two columns on a side panel, or to use a peel-off label. It reads better and gives less of a sense of small print hidden away, which is precisely what the rule is trying to avoid.

Who signs off the list

The responsible person for the product, not the design studio. We lay out exactly what the regulatory specialist provides, and we always ask for that sign-off in writing before artwork. Any later change of formula means the list has to be reviewed again.

Frequently asked questions

Can I highlight an ingredient inside the INCI list?

The list must be presented clearly and without altering its informative character. Highlighting actives happens outside it, on the front or in a claims block, with the usual caution about claims.

Should it say Ingredients or the local translation?

The wording provided for is Ingredients, in English, preceding the list.

What if I change supplier for an ingredient?

If the resulting INCI does not change, the label stands. If the composition changes, the list has to be updated and the product information file reviewed.

This is an orientative summary: regulatory responsibility sits with the responsible person. If you are preparing a line, branding for beauty and skincare brands explains how we build this into the design process.