What is an INCI List?
In the world of skincare, understanding product ingredients is key to making informed choices. The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) provides a standardized, globally recognized system for listing ingredients, ensuring transparency and consistency across beauty products, helping consumers easily identify and compare products.
Why the INCI List Matters
The INCI list is more than just an ingredient rundown—it helps consumers identify and compare formulas easily. Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration, allowing you to assess the potency of key actives. This is particularly important for those with sensitive skin or allergies, as it helps avoid potential irritants while highlighting the most effective components.
How to Decipher an INCI List
INCI names follow a global convention, to provide clarity:
- Synthetic & Chemical Ingredients: Typically listed using standardized scientific names, often derived from English or Latin. For example, Vitamin E is listed as Tocopherol.
- Botanical Ingredients: Plant-derived components are listed by their Latin binomial names for consistency across languages. For instance, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice refers to aloe vera. The name often includes the plant part and preparation type, like Extract or Oil.
This system ensures that consumers can accurately identify ingredients, regardless of language or regional differences. Most skincare products begin with water, aqua, serving as a base but offering no direct skincare benefits. The real power lies in the ingredients that follow.
Le Balm's Unique Formula
Unlike most skincare products, Le Balm by Bonjout Beauty is a waterless formula, meaning 100% of its ingredients are active, directly contributing to skin health—no fillers, just potent skincare benefits.
Key ingredients in Le Balm include:
- Prickly Pear Native Cells (Opuntia Ficus-Indica Leaf Cell Extract): Calms and soothes the skin. Or soothing and calming
- Blue Bird Hibiscus Native Cells (Hibiscus Syriacus Callus Extract): Stimulates cell regeneration and decreases wrinkles. Or Supports skin renewal and reduces wrinkles
- Squalane: An emollient that hydrates and protects the skin. Or Deep hydration and skin protection
- Ceramide NP: Strengthens the skin barrier and locks in moisture. Or Strengthens and locks in moisture
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1: A peptide that stimulates collagen production, making skin look firmer. Or Stimulates collagen production for firmer skin
- Sodium Hyaluronate: A form of hyaluronic acid that plumps and hydrates the skin. Or Plumps and deeply hydrates
By meticulously selecting these potent actives, Le Balm offers a concentrated and effective skincare solution. Dr. Bonjout states, "I truly believe in the skin’s natural renewal power, which is why I source the most potent actives to activate it."
Your Skin Deserves Transparency
Understanding the INCI list empowers you to make informed skincare decisions. With Le Balm, every ingredient serves a purpose, ensuring a potent, filler-free formula you can trust. By knowing exactly what’s inside, you can confidently choose products that truly benefit your skin and deliver real results.
To help you navigate ingredient safety and identify clean beauty products, here are some trusted tools:
- Yuka – Scan and analyze skincare ingredients for safety. Le Balm proudly scores a perfect 100/100.
- EWG Skin Deep – Rates product and ingredient safety on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the safest). Le Balm earns a top-tier score of 1—just one step away from EWG Certified!
- SkinSAFE – Identifies products safe for sensitive skin. Le Balm is rated 91/100 for its hypoallergenic, clean formula.
Using these resources, you can gain deeper insight into the products you use daily and confidently select formulas that align with your skin’s needs.