How to read a cosmetic label: the guide to decoding it without mistakes!
A product’s label is its identity card. Through it, you can access all the essential information about your new shampoo. It tells you exactly what’s inside the formula and what you’re really applying to your scalp or skin… provided you know how to decode it!
From endless ingredient lists to unpronounceable names (always written in tiny letters, of course!), it’s often hard to identify which ingredients are toxic and should be avoided, which ones are harmless, and which only sound natural. All the information is right there on the label, but unfortunately, we don’t always have the decoder in hand…
In this article, we’ll explain how to decode a cosmetic label so you can make informed, conscious choices and stop getting lost in the jargon of complicated ingredient names!
1. The label: a goldmine of information
Learning how to read and decode a cosmetic label is an essential skill, especially if you’re aiming for a healthy and natural lifestyle.
A cosmetic product label contains a wealth of useful information: its name, brand, expiration date, quantity, certifications or labels, usage precautions… and, most importantly, its list of ingredients!
The ingredient list on a label is what allows you to determine whether a cosmetic product is truly natural, eco-friendly, safe, and suited to your needs. It precisely and exhaustively indicates the substances you’re applying to your skin or hair when you choose to use that product. It also helps you identify any toxic chemicals, harsh agents, allergens, or even carcinogenic compounds that might be present.
In short, a product’s composition never lies. By reading it carefully, you can easily tell whether a brand is honest and genuinely natural, or simply a fan of greenwashing!
2. Ingredients to watch out for… and avoid at all costs!
Let’s start decoding the label by identifying the ingredients you should avoid, or even stay far away from.
In conventional, let’s not say “chemical”, cosmetics, and despite stricter regulations, many harmful substances can still be found. These ingredients may be allergenic, carcinogenic, polluting, or even act as serious endocrine disruptors.
Among the most common harmful ingredients found in cosmetics, we find:
Parabens
In cosmetic products, especially shampoos, parabens are used as preservatives. They serve no purpose in improving the beauty or health of your hair.
However, when it comes to health and the environment, it’s a completely different story. Their production is highly polluting, and they pose several serious health risks.
Parabens are powerful endocrine disruptors that easily penetrate the skin and bloodstream. They negatively affect skin aging and even alter DNA (!). On top of that, they are potentially carcinogenic, the not-so-sweet cherry on top.
Luckily, they’re easy to spot on a label: they’re the ingredients whose names end with –paraben.
Silicones
This is the ingredient behind the great illusion. Silicones coat, smooth, and add shine to the hair… sounds great, right? Well, not quite, because in the long run, they actually damage your hair.
Over time and with repeated shampoos, silicones build up on the hair, forming a kind of film around the strand. This coating suffocates the hair and weakens it considerably.
With each wash, the silicone layer becomes thicker and stronger, making the hair impermeable and resistant to treatments or coloring. Hair care products lose their effectiveness, and plant-based dyes no longer adhere properly. The hair fiber becomes fragile and can no longer absorb the nourishment it needs.
Hair that once looked shiny and smooth eventually turns dull, brittle, and prone to split ends.
To make matters worse, silicones are also endocrine disruptors, interfering with hormonal balance and impacting overall health. They’re harmful to the environment, too, highly resistant, they take years to degrade in nature.
Bad for your hair, bad for your health, and bad for the planet… Spot them and avoid them!
In your ingredient list, silicones can be recognized by names ending in –silane, –siloxane, –thiconol, or –thicone.
Sulfates
Sulfates are powerful detergents, they don’t just clean your hair, they strip it. The problem lies in their strength: they’re simply too harsh, and when poorly balanced, far too aggressive.
Sulfates are highly irritating for the scalp. They dry it out and disrupt its natural sebum production. As a result, the scalp becomes weakened, leading to allergies, itching, or even dandruff.
Among the most common sulfates, you’ll often find Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS). It’s thanks to this surfactant that your shampoo produces abundant foam, pleasant, yes, but not particularly useful since the foam itself doesn’t clean; it simply makes the product feel smoother to use.
The result of using SLS? An irritated and sensitized scalp. Apart from the discomfort, an inflamed scalp inevitably affects the beauty and health of your hair. On top of that, SLS is also considered a potential carcinogen.
Keep an eye out for this ingredient on labels, along with its close relatives: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, and Sodium Myreth Sulfate.
A great natural and gentle alternative is the soap nut, which creates a soft, abundant foam while genuinely cleansing the scalp thanks to its purifying properties. Plus, it’s biodegradable and eco-friendly.
Sodium Coco Sulfate, derived from coconut oil, is another option, despite its slightly “chemical” name, it’s much gentler than conventional sulfates and is one of the most commonly used surfactants in organic cosmetics.
PEGs & PPGs
PEGs and PPGs are often used as humectants and emulsifiers in conventional shampoos and cosmetic products.
The problem? Beyond being irritating for the skin and polluting for the environment, these synthetic compounds increase the permeability of your skin, allowing other toxic substances to penetrate more easily through the scalp and into your body. In short, they hold the door open for unwanted intruders.
They’re easy to spot on your label, simply look for the abbreviations PEG and PPG in the INCI list (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients).
Fragrance
The purpose of fragrance is, of course… to make your product smell nice! A pleasant scent is lovely, but in conventional cosmetics, synthetic fragrances can be irritating and harmful to both the scalp and hair fiber. Your hair may smell like spring, but underneath, it’s far from healthy.
To identify them, it’s simple: look for the word “Parfum” or “Fragrance” on the label.
However, fragrance-free doesn’t mean your shampoo will smell unpleasant. Natural products often use aromatic essential oils instead of synthetic scents. And in all Hairborist products, these essential oils do far more than just smell good, they provide deep, targeted care, adapted to your hair type and specific needs.
A big bonus point for natural care!
3. Harmless ingredients: learn to understand them so you no longer fear them
Now that we’ve covered the ingredients to avoid, let’s move on to the harmless ones, because sometimes, they also have scary-looking names that don’t do them any favors.
When you look at the label of a natural product, certain ingredients might seem completely chemical at first glance. But don’t be fooled, that impression often comes from the fact that these are simply the scientific or Latin names of the ingredients.
Plants and their Latin names
In the plant world, there are many species and sub-species. Using the scientific Latin name makes it possible to identify the exact variety used in your cosmetic product. For instance, when it comes to mint, there are 18 different species!
Each one has its own properties and contraindications, so this distinction is essential.
For example: Mentha viridis refers to spearmint, while Mentha x piperita is peppermint.
“Fake chemicals”
Some ingredients have names that sound chemical, even though they aren’t. Glycerin, for example, suffers from its scientific-sounding name, which might seem synthetic or toxic. In reality, in natural products, the form used is vegetable glycerin :
natural, plant-based, biodegradable, and non-toxic. It poses no risk to your health or the planet.
When analyzing the label of a natural product to check its authenticity and reliability, the ingredient list should normally be short. In natural cosmetics, less is more!
Once you exclude the Latin names (which are safe), you should only have a few ingredients left. The best way to get familiar with them, until you know them by heart!, is to look them up. Fortunately, there are several reliable apps and websites to help you do just that.
4. Apps and websites to analyze cosmetic ingredients
The website: The truth about cosmetics
This website offers a search engine for INCI ingredients (= International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients), allowing you to access detailed information about any component or to create a complete profile of a product.
Each ingredient is also rated on a scale ranging from “very good” to “not recommended.”
The app or website: INCI Beauty
The INCI Beauty app lets you analyze the ingredients of a cosmetic product simply by scanning its barcode. It’s easy to use and completely free.
The website also includes a search tool and serves as a true encyclopedia of cosmetic ingredients, offering reliable information and advice about what’s inside your beauty products.
