How to Read a Skincare Label
The claims on the front of the box are unregulated. The list on the back follows rules.
Written and reviewed by Sarah Hitchcox, RN, BSN
Learning to read an ingredient list is the cheapest skill in skincare. It costs nothing and it makes most marketing irrelevant.
Order tells you the story
Ingredients appear in descending order of concentration down to about the one percent mark, after which order is at the manufacturer’s discretion. The first five entries are effectively what you are buying. If the active ingredient on the front of the bottle sits near the bottom of the list, you are paying for a trace of it.
Words that mean nothing
- Clean, natural and chemical-free have no agreed legal definition in cosmetics.
- Dermatologically tested means some testing happened, not what the result was.
- Hypoallergenic means formulated to reduce risk. It is not certified and not a guarantee.
- Fragrance or parfum can stand in for dozens of substances that need not be listed separately.
Two habits worth more than any label
Patch test on the inner forearm for a day or two before a product goes on your face, and introduce one new product at a time with about a week between them. Starting three at once guarantees you will never know which one caused a reaction.