{"id":3657,"date":"2022-06-22T12:36:56","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T10:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sophim.com?p=3657"},"modified":"2024-02-16T17:20:34","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T16:20:34","slug":"inci","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sophim.com\/en\/inci\/","title":{"rendered":"The INCI, an international nomenclature for cosmetic ingredients"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Crucial issues around the composition of a cosmetic product<\/span><\/h2>\n

Clearly communicating about the composition of a cosmetic product is essential for building trust <\/strong>with customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consumers looking for healthy and natural cosmetic products can identify ingredients from the petrochemical industry. Cosmetic products containing molecules that are the subject of questions about their safety can also be identified more easily, and removed according to the logic of the precautionary principle. Some ingredients may also be excluded for activist or ethical reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it was necessary to provide information that was as complete, clear and understandable as possible. A customer must be able to easily consult the list of cosmetic ingredients of a product he or she is interested in, regardless of his or her country or knowledge. In the absence of regulation, a manufacturer could very well hide the presence of palm oil behind a generic term, such as “vegetable oil”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The consequences of unclear<\/strong> ingredient communication could even be dramatic. A mislabelled allergen could lead to a serious reaction in an allergic person.<\/span><\/p>\n

The establishment of an international nomenclature represents a marketing asset as well as a public health issue!<\/span><\/p>\n

2. The US manufacturers behind the INCI list<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) is an American association of cosmetic manufacturers. It is the originator of the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, which was developed in 1973.<\/span><\/p>\n

INCI has moved from the United States to other parts of the world. It has been mandatory for all cosmetic products commercialised <\/span>in the European Union since 1998<\/b>. The nomenclature is also used in Japan and China.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2007, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association has become the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC). This association still oversees the international nomenclature for cosmetic products, which is developed by the International Nomenclature Committee (INC). Ingredients are listed in the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, of which the\u00a0 <\/span>wINCI<\/span><\/a> (Web Based Ingredient Dictionary) is the searchable version.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. The operating rules of the INCI nomenclature<\/span><\/h2>\n

Two languages are used to define the ingredients of a cosmetic product:<\/span><\/p>\n