Understanding ingredient listings – Decoding the scientific terminologies

Ever turn your skin care items around, scan the back of the labels to see what exactly you've been putting on your face, only to come across a list of words you've likely never seen before let alone know how to even pronounce? We've been there too.

The reality is, the ingredients listed on the packaging are just the scientific terminologies for highly common elements found in most beauty products that are currently on the market – the majority of which are safe for everyday use. But how do you interpret it all?

First, it's important to note that ingredients are ordered by their level of concentration in the formula – the higher up on the list, the more present the ingredient is in the overall formula. Additionally, the fewer the ingredients listed, the purer the formula is likely to be.

Another factor to consider when reviewing formulas involve "Active" vs. "Inactive" ingredients. Active ingredients are added to perform a specific function for a specific purpose, such as "Benzalkonium Chloride", which is an antiseptic found in our Core Foaming Hand Sanitizer to help kill common germs on the hands. Or "Zinc Oxide", found in our Daytime Defense Cream (with SPF 25) – an active ingredient from our sunscreen to specifically protect the skin from harmful UVA/UVB rays.

Inactive ingredients on the other hand, are elements that offer more of a supportive role to the overall formula, and provide more general cosmetic benefits such as hydration, clarity, and brightening. 

For a comprehensive overview and classification of ingredients found in our products, and ones we deem as unsafe to include in our formulas, click HERE.