If you are like us, then you can probably spend hours reading skincare labels. Whoever writes these labels are brilliant. These labels are incredibly seductive–and rightfully so. 


Paint me like one of your French girls, Jack. 


Do not even get us started on packaging. 


But, it is the ingredient list that should guide our product purchases. 





  1. The ingredient list on any given product lists its ingredients in descending order, by concentration (from most to least). The first 5 ingredients usually make up 80-90% of the product’s formula. If our hero ingredient is near the bottom, swipe left. 




  2. Latin names e.g. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice are just the plant names written in Latin. That’s all. 




  3. Ok, ingredient families. Here are the basic groups: 













































Ingredient Type

What It Does

Examples 

Humectants

Draw moisture into skin

Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid

Emollients

Soften and smooth

Shea butter, Squalene

Occulsives

Lock moisture in

Dimethicone, Petroleum (petrolatum) 

Actives

Deliver results

Niacinamide, Retinol, Vitamin C

Surfactants

Cleanse or create foam

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Coco-Glucoside

Preservatives 

Prevent spoilage

Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate



The best mix is a humectant,  an emollient, and an occlusive for hydration balance. 





  1. Our actives e.g. retinol or niacinamide appear mid-list or lower because they are effective in lower concentrations. If niacinamide at 5% appears after several base ingredients–all is good– we look at the percentage. 




  2. Ok, this is where seduction meets the need for genuine connection–do not fall prey to buzzwords and fillers that make a product sound special but do not add much value (e.g., “diamond powder” or “24k gold” or “crushed pearl” or “oxygenated water”). Very seductive, but not much value-added. 




  3. Fragrances, parfum, or limonene can be irritants to those with sensitive or acne-prone skin, and especially so if they appear high up the list.





A couple of overall considerations include, avoid or double-check products containing,




  • Denatured alcohol (Alcohol denat.) high on the list which can dry out the skin.




  • Essential oils can cause irritation. 




  • No preservatives at all which creates a mold risk in water-based products. 





TL;DR


You do not need to memorize every ingredient, just recognize patterns. 


Focus on: 




  • The first five ingredients




  • What family do they belong to (hydrators, actives, fillers, etc)




  • How those seductive marketing terms hide behind fancy names 




In other words, as soon as you understand the “main ingredients,” you will not be so easily seduced.