Have you ever looked at an ingredient label and thought WTH does all this mean?
And then some companies advertise the whole “If you can’t pronounce it, then it is bad for you!” Well, that’s not exactly true.
Here are some large words you may find on your skincare bottles and what they actually refer to.
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – this comes from coconut and is used as a thickening agent and is a great emollient.
- Dihydrogen Oxide – Means 2 Hydrogen and 1 Oxygen – Anyone remember a tiny bit of High School Chemistry? Also known as Water!
- Phenoxyethanol – this is actually a preservative that is globally approved, is non-irritating, non-sensitizing and is used to help prevent bacteria growth. Yeah who wants nasty critters running amok in their skincare? Not me!
- SD Alcohol – is made from Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is a species of yeast. It has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times according to Wikipedia. This is more commonly known as baker’s yeast or budding yeast. This is used because it mixes so well with water and allows the formulator to add active ingredients that otherwise would be insoluble into the end product.
- Sodium Hydroxypropysulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer – Holy Smokes could this be any longer!? This is a natural plant derived surfactant made from coconut oil and corn syrup. It is renewable and gentle to the skin.
Why water isn’t water on an ingredient list
So why the heck can’t they just say baker’s yeast or use a word that everyone would know? This has to do with INCI names, International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It requires that all ingredients are listed on the label; there can be no trade names or company proprietary ingredients. If a company won’t list its ingredients or tries to hide it, then you should be concerned.
Be sure to check out our blog post on peptides for a list of commonly used peptides, what they mean, and why we use them.
