External links
- European Commission: Cosmetic Ingredients Database
- FDA: Labeling Claims[dead link]
- Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) - INCI resources
- A to Z INCI Database
- FDA: Cosmetic Labelling Guide
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 are 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".
An INCI name is used for ingredient identification and labelling, but its assignment does not by itself indicate that an ingredient is approved, safe, or permitted for use in cosmetics in a particular jurisdiction.
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.
The following table gives examples of common names and corresponding INCI names.
* Some common names and INCI names are the same name.
Ingredient labelling rules are intended to provide consumers with information about the contents of cosmetic and personal care products. Ingredient declarations may help purchasers identify substances to which they have a known sensitivity or allergy. In jurisdictions that require INCI names, ingredients are listed using the INCI system so that ingredient names are more consistent across product labels.
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.
In Canada, cosmetic ingredient labeling is governed by the Cosmetic Regulations under the Food and Drugs Act.
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.
