How to Read a Beauty Label

This is a researched explainer, drawn from the sources listed below. It contains no affiliate links.

The front of a jar is written by the marketing department. The back is written, in large part, by federal rules. Learning to read the back is the single most useful habit in clean beauty, and it takes about five minutes.

The ingredient list is ordered by weight, up to a point

In the United States, cosmetics sold at retail must list their ingredients, and the list follows a set order ¹². Ingredients present at more than one percent appear first, in descending order of predominance: the most abundant at the top. Below that line, ingredients at one percent or less may be listed in any order. Color additives can follow at the end, also in any order ¹².

This is why the first five or six names tell you most of what a formula is. If water, glycerin and a plant oil lead the list, that is the body of the product. A botanical extract that appears near the end, however prominently it features on the front, may be present in a very small amount. The label does not say where the one percent line falls, so treat the tail of the list as "small amounts, order unknown."

The rules also allow a phrase, "and other ingredients," where the FDA has accepted a specific ingredient as a trade secret ². It is uncommon, but now you will recognize it.

Why the names look so technical

The names on the list are standardized. The FDA requires ingredients to be declared by their common or usual names, and points to its regulation for the sources of those names ³. In practice, most brands use INCI names (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients), published by the Personal Care Products Council in its ingredient dictionary, which the Council says the FDA recognizes for US labeling ⁴.

The benefit is consistency. On a US label you will often see a botanical name followed by its common name in parentheses, such as "Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter," so the same ingredient reads the same way from brand to brand. Latin botanical names, chemical names and a few common words sit side by side for that reason, not to obscure anything. The FDA's page on ingredient names explains which forms are acceptable on US labels ³.

What "fragrance" or "parfum" can include

One word on many labels stands in for many ingredients. Federal rules allow fragrance and flavor to be listed simply as "fragrance" or "flavor" ². The FDA explains why: the ingredient-listing law cannot be used to force companies to reveal trade secrets, and fragrance formulas, which are complex mixtures of natural and synthetic ingredients, are among the most likely parts of a cosmetic to qualify ⁵.

The FDA also notes that some fragrance components can cause allergic reactions or sensitivities in some people ⁵. "Fragrance-free" and "unscented" are not the same promise. A published review of dermatologic marketing terms found that "fragrance-free" is not regulated by any governing body ¹⁴, and we could find no federal definition of "unscented" either, so the ingredient list is the better guide. If you have reacted to products before, talk to your doctor or a board-certified dermatologist, who can help identify the specific ingredient.

The 2022 cosmetics law discussed below directs the FDA to require that certain fragrance allergens be named on labels ⁹. At the time of writing, we could not confirm that the rule has been finalized. We will update this piece when it is.

What the FDA does and does not define

Here the fine print becomes freeing, because several familiar words carry less weight than they seem to.

The FDA keeps no list of approved claims. Cosmetic labeling does not need FDA approval before a product goes on sale, and the agency does not maintain a list of approved or accepted cosmetic claims. What the law requires is that labeling be truthful and not misleading ⁶. The same page draws a firm line: a product that claims to treat or prevent disease, or to affect the structure or function of the body, is regulated as a drug ⁶.

"Natural" and "clean." We could find no FDA definition of either word for cosmetics. Each brand and each retailer that uses them sets its own meaning, and those meanings vary widely. The words tell you about intent, not about a standard. Like any claim, they still have to be truthful and not misleading ⁶.

"Hypoallergenic." The FDA states that there are no federal standards or definitions governing the term, and that companies using it are not required to submit evidence for the claim to the agency ⁷. It does not mean a product cannot cause a reaction.

"Organic." The FDA does not define or regulate "organic" for cosmetics. That word belongs to the USDA's National Organic Program, which can certify a cosmetic or body care product if its agricultural ingredients meet organic standards ⁸.

What changed with MoCRA

The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 is the largest change to US cosmetics oversight since the original 1938 law, according to the FDA ⁹. Among other things, it introduced facility registration and product listing with the FDA, mandatory reporting of serious adverse events, a requirement that companies hold evidence that their products are safe, and new FDA authority to order recalls ⁹. For readers, the practical effect is more accountability behind the label, not a new set of words on the front.

Four seals, in their own words

A certification is useful only once you know what it measures. Here is what four common seals say they cover, summarized from each program's own materials. We are describing them, not endorsing or ranking them.

USDA Organic. A cosmetic can carry the USDA Organic seal if it is certified under the National Organic Program. Products labeled "100 percent organic" or "organic" (at least 95 percent organic ingredients, excluding water and salt) may display the seal, and the certifying agent must be named on the label ⁸. It speaks to how agricultural ingredients were grown and handled, not to a list of excluded chemicals.

Leaping Bunny. Administered by Cruelty Free International, this program covers animal testing. Brands commit to a fixed cut-off date after which neither they nor their suppliers commission animal testing, run a supplier monitoring system and open it to independent audits ¹⁰. It says nothing about the ingredients themselves.

EWG Verified. The Environmental Working Group's mark requires that products avoid ingredients on EWG's "Unacceptable" list, meet its restrictions on others, disclose full ingredients to EWG, including fragrance ingredients, and follow good manufacturing practices ¹¹.

MADE SAFE. This program screens a product's ingredients against its Banned and Restricted List of substances and requires the company to disclose the substances intentionally added to the formulation ¹²¹³. Its standard focuses on human health and ecosystems.

Two habits help. First, read the seal for what it measures: farming, animal testing, ingredient screening and disclosure are four different questions. Second, confirm the claim on the certifier's own website, where most programs list the brands or products they have approved. A logo on a box is a statement by the brand; a listing on the certifier's site is a statement by the certifier.