How to actually avoid an ingredient
Reading the Label · ingredientlogic Editorial · 1 min read
The short answer
To actually avoid an ingredient you need three things: its INCI name, the other names it hides behind, and a list you can read before purchase. Reaction-tracking works the same way — note the formula, not the brand, because two products from one brand can run on entirely different lists.
Start with the first five lines. Ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity, so the top of the list is most of the product. An avoid-list ingredient at position two matters far more than one at position twelve.
Learn the synonyms. Sericite mica is mica. Aqua is water. A name you do not recognize is not automatically a synthetic, and a familiar name is not automatically safe.
Then check the exceptions above — a short list with 'fragrance' on it is not a short list.
On our own site: silica, dimethicone, phenoxyethanol, titanium dioxide, ultramarine, boron nitride and mica each appear in some formulas and not others. The standards page prints the whole table, so you can choose by your avoid-list rather than ours.
Common questions
