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 (INCI: liquid paraffin, Ozokerite Microcrystalline Wax) or synthetic silicone oils (INCI e.g. cyclomethicone, siloxanes)	Vegetable oils (INCI e.g Coconut oil = Cocos Nucifera Oil, Jojoba oil = Simmondsia Chinensis oil, Shea butter = Butyrospermum parkii butter

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 polyethylene glycol containing compounds (INCI: starting with "PEG")	Vegetable Lecithin (INCI: Lecithin), compounds derived from vegetable oils (INCI: eg Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Laurate)

  

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 (INCI: Sodium Laureth Sulfate) and chemically modified betaines (INCI: Cocamidopropyl Betaine)	Substances from renewable raw materials (INCI: e.g. Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Coco Sulfate, disodium cocoyl glutamate)

preservatives

Conventional cosmetics	natural cosmetics
Mostly synthetic substances such as parabens (INCI: e.g. ethylparaben) and phenoxyethanol	Use of natural raw materials (INCI: eg: Potassium Sorbate) or use of multifunctional raw materials with antimicrobial effect (INCI: e.g. Sodium Anisate, Glyceryl Caprylate)

  

active ingredients

Conventional cosmetics	natural cosmetics
Synthetic fabrics are common and silicone compounds are used	Vegetable, from renewable raw materials or biotechnologically derived active ingredients (INCI e.g. sodium hyaluronate, aloe barbadensis, bisabolol)

  

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