Do you speak INCI?
It has been a legal requirement in the EU since 1997 to correctly list the ingredients of cosmetics. The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, INCI for short, stipulates that ingredients must be listed in descending order according to their concentration in the product. This means: what is in it a lot is at the beginning. But which ingredient is behind which abbreviation? And as a consumer, how do you even recognize ingredients that it is better to avoid? Because paraffins, mineral oils or microplastics, often used in conventional cosmetics, have fallen into disrepute. How do you recognize them and what herbal alternatives are there on the market? We take a look at the heart of the cosmetics industry - the ingredients.
The image of conventional care is increasingly suffering from the bad reputation of many ingredients. For example, microplastics are classified as a major environmental hazard. Through the use of cosmetics, it gets into the waste water, from which it can only be filtered out to a limited extent. The rest flows into the oceans and is eaten by animals and organisms. According to studies , petroleum-based paraffins are also considered to be extremely problematic for the environment during extraction and recycling and are also classified as supposedly hazardous to health. In addition, the parabens used as preservatives are suspected of having hormonal effects. They are associated with diseases and phenomena such as infertility or diabetes. The list of ingredients classified as problematic seems endless: from aluminum and bleach to silicones and plasticizers.
Maybe that's why more and more people are asking for niche care products based on natural essences and oils instead of test-tube cosmetics. Good natural cosmetics are based on biodegradable and high-quality ingredients that effectively care for and protect skin and hair - without any chemicals. Natural care and active ingredients such as wheat protein make stressed hair combable and soft - without the need for synthetics and silicones. Natural essential oils obtained from jojoba, coconut or almonds alternately have a caring, moisturizing and moisturizing effect on the skin. Extracts from fruits and plants such as figs, sage or marigolds develop their ideal effect in body care. The renunciation of chemicals has another decisive advantage: the biological degradability in soil and water.
But... Who is who?
But how do consumers recognize ingredients such as parabens, paraffins or microplastics? And what plant-based alternatives are there? We provide an insight into the language of the ingredients:
oils
Conventional cosmetics |
natural cosmetics |
Mineral oil products such as paraffin oil |
Vegetable oils (INCI e.g |
emulsifiers
Emulsifiers are auxiliary substances that mix and stabilize two immiscible liquids, such as oil and water, into a mixture known as an emulsion.
Conventional cosmetics |
natural cosmetics |
Often synthetic and |
Vegetable Lecithin (INCI: Lecithin), |
surfactants
Surfactants are washing-active substances (detergents) that reduce the surface tension of a liquid and thus enable two immiscible liquids to mix.
Conventional cosmetics |
natural cosmetics |
PEG-containing raw materials such as SLES |
Substances from renewable raw materials |
preservatives
Conventional cosmetics |
natural cosmetics |
Mostly synthetic substances |
Use of natural raw materials |
active ingredients
Conventional cosmetics |
natural cosmetics |
Synthetic fabrics are common |
Vegetable, from renewable raw materials |
Taking a closer look at the cosmetics shelf can therefore make sense. Because natural care is not only good for people, but also for the environment and our water cycle. For our products we therefore rely on 100% natural, biodegradable ingredients that meet the highest standards of certified natural cosmetics.
- Without parabens, paraffins, microplastics and silicones
- Without coloring and preservatives
- Without animal testing