chemistry

International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients

International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients rather than just read about it. In short: The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) is a group of unique identifiers for cosmetic ingredients such as waxes, oils, pigments, and other chemicals that are assigned in accordance with rules established in 1973 by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), previously the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA). INCI names often differ from systematic chemical nomenclature or from…

Key takeaways

International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) is a group of unique identifiers for cosmetic ingredients such as waxes, oils, pigments, and other chemicals that are assigned in accordance with rules established in 1973 by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), previously the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA). INCI names often differ from systematic chemical nomenclature or from more common trivial names and is a mixture of conventional scientific names, Latin and English words. INCI nomenclature conventions "are continually reviewed and modified when necessary to reflect changes in the industry, technology, and new ingredient developments".

Nomenclature

INCI and CAS The relationship between a CAS Registry Number and an INCI name is not always one-to-one. In some cases, more than one INCI name may have the same CAS number, or more than one CAS number may apply to an INCI name. For example, the CAS number 1245638-61-2 has the CA Index Name of 2-Propenoic acid, reaction products with pentaerythritol. This CAS number can accurately be associated with two INCI names: Pentaerythrityl Tetraacrylate and Pentaerythrityl Triacrylate. Alternatively, the INCI name, Glucaric Acid can be associated with two CAS numbers: 87-73-0 which has the CA Index Name of D-Glucaric acid, and 25525-21-7, which has the CA Index Name of DL-Glucaric acid. Both of these examples are accurate associations between CAS and INCI.

Table of common names Here is a table of several common names and their corresponding INCI names.

* Some common names and INCI names are the same name.

INCI labelling The cosmetic regulation laws are enforceable for important consumer safety. For example, the ingredients are listed on the ingredient declaration for the purchaser to reduce the risk of an allergic reaction to an ingredient the user has had an allergy to before. INCI names are mandated on the ingredient statement of every consumer personal care product. The INCI system allows the consumer to identify the ingredient content.

INCI regulation laws

United States In the U.S., under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, certain accurate information is required to appear on labels of cosmetic products, including the ingredient list. In the U.S., as defined and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), true soaps are specifically exempted from INCI labelling requirements as cosmetics.

Canada In Canada, cosmetic ingredient labeling is governed by the Cosmetic Regulations under the Food and Drugs Act.

European Union In the European Union, the use of INCI names on cosmetic product labels is mandated by Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products.

See also Ingredients of cosmetics Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) List of cosmetic ingredients

References

External links European Commission: Cosmetic Ingredients Database FDA: Labeling Claims Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) - INCI resources A to Z INCI Database FDA: Cosmetic Labelling Guide

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients

In research: International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Chemical nomenclature, Cosmetics, International classification systems, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients in simple terms?

Why does International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients.