They are everywhere ! On our skin, our hair, our eyes, our nails and even our teeth! Cosmetic products are intended to be brought into contact with the various superficial parts of the human body with the aim of cleaning them, perfuming them, modifying their appearance, protecting them and maintaining them in good condition. They are classified differently depending on their purpose: Skin products (creams, lotions, makeup products, makeup removal, anti-aging, shaving, sunscreen), hygiene products (soaps, shower gels, deodorants, beauty products). dental and oral hygiene), hair products (dyes, conditioners, shampoos, styling products, straightening and straightening products, or others (perfumes, depilatories, varnishes and nail care products).

This article was updated on 04/08/2023
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What are they made of?

Ingredients and their role

Water : It serves as a solvent and often makes up the majority of cosmetic products. It is generally demineralized except in products with thermal waters whose properties depend on the trace elements and mineral salts present.
Scent : Perfumes are found in almost all cosmetic products and even form a category in their own right: eau de toilette, eau de parfum and essences. The molecules responsible for odors are aromatic compounds of natural or synthetic origin.

Emollients : Emollients are ingredients that soften and soften the skin. Vegetable oils, waxes, glycerin are considered emollients for example. The more emollient a substance is, the more softness it will provide to the skin.

Discover the guide to emulsifying waxes

Fat body : Fatty substances are widely used, in the form of oils, butters, free fatty acids, waxes or even derivatives such as fatty alcohols and esters. They help restore the hydrolipidic film and strengthen the intercorneocyte cement to reduce water loss from the skin.

Conservatives : Preservatives allow cosmetic products to be less sensitive to oxidation in order to slow down the rancidity of fatty substances and extend their lifespan. There are also antimicrobial preservatives to reduce the risk of contamination of the product by microorganisms.

Discover the curators’ guide

Texturizing agents : Texturants allow, as their name implies, to modify the texture of the product; in this category we find gelling agents, thickeners and fluidifiers.

Discover the gum guide

Surfactants : These are molecules that are compatible with both water and oil. They therefore allow the formation of emulsions which correspond to the dispersion of a liquid in the form of droplets within another in which it is not miscible. The emulsion is the form most found in cosmetics, in creams, shower gels, shampoos, milks, etc. They are found under the name of surfactants, surfactants, emulsifiers or emulsifiers.

Discover the surfactant guide

Assets : Active ingredients are ingredients recognized as providing specific properties: anti-aging, moisturizing, exfoliating, humectant, anti-oxidant, etc. These are the ones that are generally added to neutral bases to obtain the desired effect. In this category we find essential oils, hydrosols, vegetable oils as well as oily macerates.

Discover the exfoliants guide 

Pigments and dyes : These are mineral or organic ingredients which will bring color to the material. We speak of a coloring when the ingredient is soluble in the product to which it is added and on the contrary of a pigment when it is insoluble. The use of a dye will therefore form a homogeneous mixture while a pigment will only disperse. We can find natural dyes such as charcoal as well as pigments such as mineral oxides.

Decrypt an INCI list

There iNCI list corresponds to the long list of complicated names most often found on the back of your cosmetic products. She details their composition according to'International nomenclature of cosmetic ingredients (INCI).

Without an expert eye, it is difficult to decipher, here are some explanations to help you:

  • THE ingredients are classified by descending order depending on their proportion in the product and up to 1 %. If their quantity is less, they are listed randomly at the end of the list.

  • The water (Aqua or Water) is often at the top of the list as it usually makes up the majority of a cosmetic product.

  • Depending on the type of product, the components arriving next in greatest quantity are molecules derived from industry chemical for conventional cosmetics or d’natural extracts for natural and organic cosmetics.

  • At the end of the list are often present the preservatives, THE dyes, THE perfumes which should be present in lowest quantities.

This list is both useful to the consumer but also allows them to do a lot of hiding.

Ingredients with a quantity of less than 1% listed out of order often give rise to commercial and advertising abuse. For example, by presenting a plant extract as the main interest of a product when it actually only makes up 0.2% of the formula full of chemical ingredients.

What should you avoid?

The INCI list can therefore also reveal the ingredients that are toxic to our skin and the environment, but who are they? Here are the main unsavory ingredients that you can easily recognize in the composition of your products.

Mineral oils

They come from the distillation of hydrocarbons such as oil or coal. Used in conventional cosmetics to stabilize them, they have an occlusive nature and leave a light film on the skin but do not provide it with any nutrients. Ltheir petrochemical manufacturing process is very environmentally unfriendly and they are very polluting once found in the environment.

Example INCI list: Mineral oil, cera microcrystalline, petrolatum, paraffinum liquidum

Fatty alcohols

Like mineral oils, they allow the stabilization of the product and leave a film on the skin which can prove protective if the fatty alcohols are of natural origin. On the contrary, those synthesized chemically risk irritating the skin, even more if they are used in excess. They are also very polluting when released into the environment.

Example INCI list: Caprylyl-alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Polypropylene Glycol

Silicones

Silicones come from the chemical industry and belong to the rubber family. They are appreciated in cosmetics in the formulation of care and makeup products for the smooth finish they leave on the surface of the skin or hair. However, they are very polluting for the environment like the majority of plastics and take more than ten years to decompose.

Example INCI list: Dimethicone, cyclomethicone, cyclohexasiloxane, cyclopentasiloxane

Sulfate-based surfactants

Surfactants have a crucial role in stabilizing emulsions by ensuring mixing between a fatty phase and an oily phase. They enable cleaning thanks to their detergent, wetting and solubilizing properties. The least recommended and yet the most used in shampoos and shower gels in particular are the anionic surfactants based on sulfate, better known by the abbreviation SLS. They come from the chemical industry, irritate the skin and have a high allergenic potential. They are often accompanied by an amphoteric softening surfactant.

Example INCI list: Sodium laureth sulfate, sodium laureth carboxylate, sodium lauryl ether sulfate, sodium oleth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate

Conservatives

Preservatives are essential because they are used to preserve cosmetic products against bacteriological and oxidation risks. However, some are highly criticized in view of their potential role as endocrine disruptors such as parabens and phthalates. Others like that quaterniums can also release formaldehyde which is an important allergen. We also find EDTA (Ethylene Diamine TetraAcetate) which is an antioxidant and antibacterial preservative but which is also very toxic and polluting.

Example INCI list: Edta, disodium edta, quaternium, polyquaternium, methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, methylchloroisothiazolinone (mcit), butylhydroxytoluene (bht), butylhydroxyanisole (bha)

Dyes

Cosmetic dyes are mainly used in hair coloring and makeup products. They can be found in the INCI list using the CI (Colour Index) coding followed by a 5-digit number. Some, such as aromatic amines and azo dyes from the chemical industry, are very allergenic, even carcinogenic.

Example INCI list: p-Phenylenediamine, Toluylen-2,5-Diamine

Polymers

Still used to ensure product stability, polymers provide a velvet texture to cosmetics. They are synthetic and are part of ethoxylated compounds. They come from a very heavy manufacturing process requiring gases that are toxic to humans and the environment, including a very well-known one: ethylene oxide.

Example INCI list: Crosspolymer, polyethylene glycol (peg), polypropylene glycol (ppg)

Aluminum salts

They are used as antiperspirants in many deodorants. They clog sweat glands, are often irritating and can impact the endocrine system in the long term. In 2011, the ANSM published an assessment report on the dangerousness of aluminum chlorohydrates in cosmetics. The quantity is now restricted to 0.6% within the product.

Example INCI list: Aluminum chloride, Aluminum chlorohydrate, Aluminum zirconium, Aluminum Chlorohydrex, Aluminum sesquichlorohydrate

The perfumes

Perfumes derive their pleasant odors from aromatic molecules which may be contained naturally in plants or synthesized chemically. They can prove problematic depending on each person's allergic background, particularly if they are isolated, which is often the case for synthetic fragrances. It is better to favor products whose fragrance is provided by plant extracts such as essential oils or floral waters.

Example INCI list: Fragrance, Perfume

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