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Guide

How to read a skincare ingredient label

The front of the bottle is marketing. The ingredient list on the back tells you what's really inside. Here's how to read one in a minute, including how to spot ingredients to avoid while pregnant.

Last updated: October 23, 2026

An example label, decoded

A made-up moisturizer, read from top to bottom.

  1. 1.Water (Aqua)Usually first: most products are mostly water.
  2. 2.GlycerinA humectant. High on the list, so there's plenty of it.
  3. 3.NiacinamideThe star ingredient; near the top is a good sign.
  4. 4.Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) ButterPlants use Latin names. This is shea butter.
  5. 5.Cetearyl AlcoholA fatty alcohol that softens skin. Not the drying kind.
  6. 6.PhenoxyethanolA preservative capped at 1% in the EU, so what follows is likely under 1%.Roughly the 1% line: below here, amounts are small
  7. 7.Sodium HyaluronateHyaluronic acid, in a small amount.
  8. 8.Fragrance (Parfum)One word that can stand for many scent ingredients.
  9. 9.LinaloolA fragrance allergen the EU requires to be named above small amounts.

8 steps to reading any label

  1. 1

    Find the full ingredient list

    Look for “Ingredients” or “INCI” on the box, bottle, or the brand's product page. The front of the pack shows marketing; the list shows what's actually inside.

  2. 2

    Read the order

    In the US and EU, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Ingredients at 1% or less can follow in any order, and colorants come at the end.

  3. 3

    Find the 1% line

    Labels don't say where the 1% line is, but clues help: the EU caps phenoxyethanol at 1%, so ingredients listed after it are usually at 1% or less. A “hero” ingredient listed after the preservatives is likely in a small amount.

  4. 4

    Decode the names

    Lists use INCI names: Aqua for water, Latin names for plants (Butyrospermum Parkii is shea, Camellia Sinensis is green tea), and chemical names for vitamins (ascorbic acid is vitamin C, tocopherol is vitamin E).

  5. 5

    Check for fragrance

    “Fragrance” or “parfum” can be a blend of many scent ingredients. In the EU, certain fragrance allergens, like linalool and limonene, must also be named when above small amounts. Essential oils add scent too.

  6. 6

    Look for a Drug Facts box

    In the US, sunscreens and many acne, dandruff, and anti-itch products are over-the-counter drugs. Their active ingredients and percentages are listed separately in a Drug Facts box, above the other (inactive) ingredients.

  7. 7

    Take marketing words lightly

    Words like “clean”, “natural”, “non-toxic”, and “dermatologist-tested” have no legal definition in the US, and the FDA says there's no federal standard for “hypoallergenic”. The ingredient list is what counts.

  8. 8

    Check for ingredients to avoid in pregnancy

    Scan for retinoids (retinol, retinal, retinyl palmitate, adapalene) and hydroquinone, which Jouaxia rates Avoid, and salicylic acid, arbutin, and some chemical sunscreen filters, rated Use caution. Or search the product on Jouaxia.

Same ingredient, different names

Common ingredients and the names they go by on labels.

Water
Aqua, Eau, Purified water
Fragrance
Parfum, Perfume, Aroma
Vitamin A (retinoids)
Retinol, Retinal, Retinaldehyde, Retinyl palmitate, Hydroxypinacolone retinoate
Vitamin B3
Niacinamide, Nicotinamide
Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid, Sodium ascorbyl phosphate, Ascorbyl glucoside, 3-O-Ethyl ascorbic acid
Vitamin E
Tocopherol, Tocopheryl acetate
Hyaluronic acid
Sodium hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid
Shea butter
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Snail mucin
Snail secretion filtrate
Cica
Centella asiatica extract, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside
Octinoxate
Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate
Oxybenzone
Benzophenone-3

Common questions

Are ingredients listed by amount?

Mostly. In the US and EU, ingredients above 1% must be listed from the highest amount to the lowest. Ingredients at 1% or less can be listed in any order after them.

Does a long ingredient list mean a product is bad?

No. Length doesn't tell you much. What matters is which ingredients are there, and whether any are ones you react to or want to avoid.

What does “hypoallergenic” mean?

The FDA says there's no federal standard or definition for “hypoallergenic”, so companies can use it without proving anything. Check the ingredient list for things you react to.