Free tool

INCI decoder

Paste the ingredient list from any cream, shampoo or soap. The decoder splits it, explains the names it knows, and highlights plant ingredients, declarable allergens and anything certified natural cosmetics leave out.

Ingredient list (INCI)

Plant or natural nameDeclarable fragrance allergenTypically excluded by natural standardsNot in our glossaryLikely below ~1% from here

How to read the result

Order matters. EU labels list ingredients above 1% in descending order of weight, so the first five or so make up most of the product.
The ~1% marker is an estimate. Preservatives and fragrance are almost always used below 1%, so we mark everything from the first of them onward. Brands don't publish the exact cut-off.
Allergens are the 26 fragrance substances EU law has long required on labels. Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 adds more; we flag the classic 26.
"Typically excluded" covers silicones, PEG and other ethoxylated ingredients, parabens, phenoxyethanol, mineral oils, EDTA, carbomers and acrylates, BHT, isothiazolinones and formaldehyde releasers. These are generally not permitted under NATRUE or COSMOS rules. Their presence doesn't make a product unsafe, only not certifiable as natural.

What the flags mean

Green plant names are botanicals the glossary recognises (INCI genus + species, such as Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil). Amber allergen flags are the classic EU-declarable fragrance substances — the original 26 names such as Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Citronellol, Coumarin and Benzyl Alcohol. EU law requires those names to appear when they exceed 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off one. An update adding further fragrance allergens has been adopted in the EU; this tool still highlights the classic 26, which is what you will see on most packs today.

Red “excluded by natural standards” flags are ingredient groups that would normally keep a formula off a NATRUE or COSMOS label: silicones, PEGs and other ethoxylates, parabens, phenoxyethanol, mineral oils, EDTA, carbomers and acrylates, BHT, isothiazolinones and formaldehyde releasers. The flag is a reading aid, not a verdict that the product is unsafe or illegal. Plenty of conventional moisturisers use Phenoxyethanol or Carbomer in good faith; they simply would not carry those seals. For how the seals differ, see natural cosmetics certifications.

Paste a complete list rather than a single name. Sodium Hydroxide used in traces to set pH, or Tocopherol as a vitamin E antioxidant, is easy to misread on its own. The five rules for reading an INCI list walk through order, the 1% line and a worked example. To check a brand rather than a formula, use the European brand checker.

Frequently asked questions

Does the decoder tell me whether a product is safe?

No. It explains names and flags ingredient groups. Every cosmetic sold legally in the EU has passed a safety assessment. If you have a diagnosed allergy, compare the list against your dermatologist's advice.

Why is benzyl alcohol both a preservative and an allergen?

It is a permitted preservative and also one of the fragrance substances that EU law requires brands to declare by name. The decoder flags it as a declarable allergen because that is the more useful warning for sensitive skin.

Is my list saved anywhere?

No. The decoder runs entirely in your browser. If you use the share link, the list is stored only in that link.

Does a red flag mean I should not use the product?

No. It means the name belongs to a group that NATRUE and COSMOS typically exclude. The product can still be a legally sold conventional cosmetic. Use the flags to see whether a "natural" claim on the pack is backed by the formula.

Why might a certified-looking brand still show a flag?

House brands sometimes sell both certified and uncertified lines. A "natural" range next to a conventional one will not share a formula. Decode the list on the pack in your hand, and confirm any seal on the certifications guide.