Are you curious about cosmetic ingredients? Every product sold in the United States is required to put a listing of the ingredients they use but do you ever wonder what those chemicals are? I know I did. During my college days I would read the ingredients on the shampoo bottle and wonder, what are these chemicals? To find out used to require a trip to the local library, a copy of the CTFA Dictionary and a degree in chemistry. But no longer!
Here are 7 FREE websites that list information about cosmetic ingredients. Some of them are searchable (just type in the ingredient name) while others are listed alphabetically. If you’re curious about an ingredient, just look it up. Then if you still have questions, be sure to get it to us by clicking on the button to Ask the Brains.
Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionaries
INCI Directory by Special 4 Chemists – The most thorough list of cosmetic ingredients without consulting the “official” INCI Dictionary. Geared more towards cosmetic formulators than consumers.
Cosmetics Info – The cosmetic industry’s compilation of cosmetic ingredients. It has limited information and focuses on safety data not on performance.
The Cosmetic Cop ingredient dictionary – Paula has put together a good list of common cosmetic ingredients. These focus more on skin care ingredients.
The Personal Care Products Council buyers guide – If you know the name of an ingredient, you can search for the company that makes it and get information from them directly.
EWG Skin Deep Database – The safety information here is not quite accurate but they do list lots of ingredients which can be helpful.
Tightcurly Ingredient list – She’s put together her own compilation of hair care ingredients. It limited information but we admire her spirit.
Avre Skin Care ingredient dictionary – a focus on skin care ingredients and mostly on ingredients they use in their products.
These sites should help inform you about cosmetic ingredients, at least until the Beauty Brains come up with their own version. Would this be something that you would want us to work on? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes!! Please do make a Beauty Brains ingredient info directory. I try to make my own hair styling products because I’m allergic to almost all fragrances, and it’s really hard to find styling products with no fragrance, no masking fragrance, and no trendy botannical ingredients that I’m allergic to. Sometimes I look up ingredients to see if they might cause an allergy–for example, Meadowfoam Seed Oil keeps appearing in products, and I found out that it’s a non-fragrant plant oil, so it probably won’t give me an allergic reaction. I’ve gone to some of the sites you listed, and they are helpful. But the more scientific info on the web, the better. Thank you Beauty Brains!
Yes, I would be interested in such a directory. EWG is great in terms of its concept, but sometimes it is difficult to navigate their rating system.. For example, a 0 rating does not necessarily mean a product is safe (they do explain this somewhere on their site). It could simply mean that there is a large data gap in terms of the information they have available. In other words, if very little info is available creating a large data gap, the ingredient could be rated as a 0. On their rating scale a 0 is rated as non-toxic.
It is fabulous that such websites exist. People need to start becoming more knowlegable about the skin care and cosmetic ingredients that they use every single day. I am currently working on an ebook on this subject which will also give alternatives to everyday toxic products. Look for it!
The EWG also arbitrarily labels things as dangerous. For example, all fragrances get a 7 rating (or something like that) even though all fragrances are not the same chemical.
Of all these databases, which would you recommend the most?
Oh, and there’s an iphone app called Ingredient Watch, is that a good app? It has low ratings but nearly no reviews so I don’t want to judge it on that. People usually give low ratings for apps with ads.