How to Read an Ingredient List Like a Formulator

Introduction: Your Skincare Label Is Speaking—Are You Listening?

We’ve all done it: standing in the aisle, flipping over a bottle, squinting at the ingredient list and wondering… What does any of this mean?

Behind every beautiful label is a list—one that reveals what a product really is, not just what it claims to be. At TSORI, we believe in transparency that goes deeper than marketing. That means empowering you to read skincare labels the way a formulator would.

Because when you understand ingredients, you’re no longer swayed by trends, greenwashing, or fluff. You know what serves your skin—and what doesn’t.

What Is an INCI List? (And Why It’s the Truth Beneath the Label)

INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients—a globally standardized system used to name every ingredient in skincare and cosmetic products. No matter where the product is made or sold, its INCI label is meant to reflect its contents in a universal language.

Think of it as the true script behind the marketing story.

While the front label may say “hydrating,” “botanical,” or “clean,” the INCI list tells you what’s actually inside the bottle—and in what quantity.

How It Works

• Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration
  The higher the ingredient appears on the list, the more of it is in the formula. If Camellia seed oil is first, that’s a great sign. If it’s buried at the bottom after synthetic emulsifiers and water, it’s likely just added for label appeal.
• Once ingredients fall below 1% concentration, brands are allowed to list them in any order
  This is where marketing can manipulate you. A trendy botanical extract may show up near the top—even if it’s barely present. This is called “label dressing.” It gives the illusion of richness without real skin benefit.
• Plant ingredients appear by their Latin botanical names
  You’ll often see listings like Calendula officinalis (calendula) or Rosa damascena (rose) next to common names. These are the mark of true, whole-plant sourcing—and a green flag for discerning eyes.

 

Why the INCI List Matters More Than the Marketing

Reading an INCI list is like reading a map. It tells you:

• What’s truly dominant in the formula
• Which ingredients are fillers or synthetics
• Whether a product is actually minimalist—or just labeled that way

Many products marketed as natural skincare products or professional organic skincare still include:

• PEG-based emulsifiers
• Fractionated or deodorized oils
• Water as the first ingredient
• Synthetic preservatives like phenoxyethanol
• Essential oils in trace amounts (yet emphasized on the front)

At TSORI, we design our ingredient lists to reflect our values:

• No esters.
• No lab-derived isolates.
• No hidden synthetics.
• Only whole-plant, full-spectrum, God-created ingredients in meaningful amounts.

Understanding the INCI list is an act of empowerment. It’s how you see through the veil of greenwashed marketing and choose skincare that actually serves your skin—and honors your standards.

Where Common Ingredients Typically Appear on Skincare Labels

This horizontal bar chart showing common skincare ingredient types and their average placement on an INCI list. Water appears first, followed by plant oils, esters, emulsifiers, preservatives, essential oils, actives, and finally fragrance.

The First 5 Ingredients Are Everything

Here’s a simple trick: If the first 5 ingredients on the list aren’t beneficial for your skin, the rest of the formula won’t save it.

Let’s break it down:

What We Often See:

• Water (Aqua) – Over 70% of most moisturizers
• Glycerin – Can cause rebound dryness
• Cetearyl Alcohol – A fatty alcohol used as an emulsifier
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – Fractionated, nutrient-stripped
• Phenoxyethanol – A synthetic preservative

These are the top 5 ingredients in many “natural beauty products.” But none of them truly nourish the skin.

What You’ll See at TSORI:

• Camellia Seed Oil – Lightweight, antioxidant-rich, non-comedogenic
• Jojoba Oil – Mimics your skin’s natural sebum
• Sea Buckthorn CO₂ – Regenerative, deeply hydrating
• Balm of Gilead Infusion – A sacred resin for healing
• Calendula Extract – Soothing and anti-inflammatory

This is the difference between natural personal care products that heal—and those that merely coat.

Red Flags to Watch For

A label may say “organic” or “clean,” but the ingredient list tells the truth. Here are common warning signs:

Greenwashing Clues:

1. "Fragrance (Parfum)" – This can hide hundreds of undisclosed chemicals.
2. “Derived from Coconut” – Often code for synthetic surfactants or emulsifiers.
3. Esters – Look for ingredients ending in -ate, -one, or -ide.
4. "Natural Preservative Systems" – Often include phenoxyethanol or sodium benzoate.
5. Colorants – CI numbers or “mica + titanium dioxide” signal added pigments.

At TSORI, we exclude all of these—not just because they’re synthetic, but because they don’t support skin health.

Personal Experience: The Turning Point

Our founder didn’t begin formulating to launch a brand. She did it to heal her child’s skin.

Years of using “professional organic skincare” filled with emulsifiers, esters, and preservatives led to:

• Ongoing eczema flare-ups
• Increased reactivity
• Constant dryness

Only when she learned to read labels like a formulator did healing begin. She chose whole, wild ingredients—and saw results the industry couldn’t deliver.

Understanding Ingredient Categories

Here’s a breakdown of key ingredient categories—what they do and what to look for:

Category	Purpose	Clean vs Synthetic Examples
Humectants	Attract moisture	Glycerin (⚠), Honey (✓)
Emollients	Soften skin	Caprylic Triglyceride (⚠), Jojoba Oil (✓)
Occlusives	Lock in hydration	Petrolatum (⚠), Shea Butter (✓)
Preservatives	Prevent mold/bacteria	Phenoxyethanol (⚠), Rosemary Extract (✓)
Emulsifiers	Blend oil and water	PEGs, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate (⚠), Beeswax (✓)
Actives	Targeted treatment	Retinol (⚠), Sea Buckthorn, Blue Tansy (✓)
Fragrance	Scent	Synthetic Parfum (⚠), Lavender Essential Oil (✓)

Formulator’s Secret: The “1% Line”

After the first several ingredients, most formulas drop below 1% inclusion. That means the remaining ingredients are:

• Actives in tiny amounts
• Preservatives
• Fragrance or label dressing

This is where many brands sneak in trendy ingredients like:

• CoQ10
• Niacinamide
• Peptides

The issue? They’re included in such small amounts that they do little for the skin. At TSORI, we rely on whole-plant actives that don’t need to be isolated or synthetically boosted to work.

What “Minimalist Skin Care” Really Looks Like

Minimalism doesn’t mean basic. It means purposeful.

A true simple skin care routine should contain:

• Intentional ingredients in each product, no fillers such as water.
• Whole plants, not fractions
• Oils that multitask (hydrate, protect, heal)

Our products are intentionally limited—not because we’re cutting corners, but because we believe fewer, better ingredients yield deeper nourishment.

Case Study: What Your Cleanser Says About Your Brand

Most “clean beauty skincare” cleansers include:

• Water
• Surfactants (Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate)
• Preservatives
• Texture modifiers
• A drop of essential oil for scent

TSORI’s cleansing oil? It includes:

• Meadowfoam Oil
• Castor Seed Oil
• Sunflower Lecithin
• Balm of Gilead

One is lab-built. One is plant-birthed. And your skin knows the difference.

How to Train Your Eye Like a Formulator

You don’t need a chemistry degree to decode your skincare. You just need discernment—and a few industry-insider habits. These five steps will help you see past the marketing and read ingredient lists with clarity and confidence.

 

1. Ignore the Front Label

Words like “natural,” “dermatologist-tested,” “non-toxic,” and “green” are often more marketing than meaning. These terms are unregulated and can be used freely—even if the product is loaded with synthetic preservatives, emulsifiers, or fragrances.

Instead of asking: “What does this label promise?”
Ask: “What does this label prove?”

Flip the bottle. The truth is always in the back panel.

 

2. Read the First Five Ingredients

The first five ingredients usually make up 70–95% of the formula. If these don’t nourish the skin, no amount of boutique botanicals at the bottom will make up for it.

Here’s what to look for:

• If water is listed first, it means the formula is diluted—and will likely contain preservatives and emulsifiers.
• If plant oils, whole infusions, or seed extracts dominate the top five, that’s a good sign.
• Watch for cheap fillers like caprylic/capric triglyceride or propylene glycol—they may feel smooth but offer little true nourishment.

At TSORI, we design our formulas so the first five ingredients could stand on their own. No fluff. No filler. Just whole, healing plants.

 

3. Scan for Red-Flag Terms

Not all red-flag ingredients are overtly harmful—but they’re usually signs of a highly processed or compromised formula. A few to watch for:

• PEGs (Polyethylene Glycol): synthetic emulsifiers made from petroleum, often contaminated with trace toxins.
• Phenoxyethanol: a common preservative in “clean” products that’s known to irritate sensitive skin.
• Esters (e.g., Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate): give that silky slip—but are lab-made and stripped of nutrient synergy.
• Fragrance/Parfum: one word can hide hundreds of synthetic chemicals, including hormone disruptors.
• Polysorbates: often derived from sorbitol and ethylene oxide—used to stabilize emulsions but not skin-compatible.

If a product is filled with these, it’s not clean—it’s just cleverly packaged.

 

4. Favor Latin Names

Latin (botanical) names are more than formality—they signal the presence of whole plants. When you see:

• Calendula officinalis (Calendula)
• Rosa damascena (Rose)
• Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba)

…you’re seeing truth in labeling. These are ingredients your skin recognizes and welcomes.

Contrast that with synthetic entries like:

• Isopropyl Palmitate
• Cyclopentasiloxane
• Dimethicone

Latin names whisper garden. Lab names scream lab.

TSORI formulas are rich in full botanical names because we believe skincare should come from soil, not synthetics.

 

5. Ask: Would I Find This in a Garden?

This is the most intuitive test of all. If you couldn’t find it on a hillside, in a forest, or at a farmstand, your skin likely doesn’t need it.

A simple rule:

• If it sounds like food or flower, it likely feeds the skin.
• If it sounds like chemistry, it likely fills or stabilizes.

Your body was created to recognize creation. Lab derivatives often confuse that recognition, leading to buildup, sensitivity, or imbalance.

At TSORI, we don't just formulate with nature in mind—we formulate with God’s creation as the standard.

Why Ingredient Literacy Is Empowerment

When you learn to read an ingredient list, you:

• Stop wasting money
• Avoid skin reactions
• Escape the trend trap
• Honor your body’s wisdom
• Choose true natural skin care remedies

We’re not just teaching you how to decode labels. We’re handing back your agency.

Read more about what’s Inside the Bottle.

What TSORI Will Never Use (And Why)

• Water – Because it dilutes potency and requires preservatives
• Esters – Because they’re lab-processed and lack whole-plant synergy
• Synthetic Preservatives – Because they disrupt your skin’s microbiome
• “Natural Fragrance” – Because there’s no transparency
• Emulsifiers – Because we don’t believe oil and water belong together on your skin

Closing: Don’t Just Read the Label—Discern It

Formulators aren’t just chemists. They’re editors. Every ingredient chosen—or excluded—tells a story.

At TSORI, we believe in writing that story with honesty, reverence, and restraint.

We don’t follow trends. We follow truth.
We don’t copy nature. We listen to it.
We don’t flood your skin. We feed it.

So the next time you pick up a bottle, read the label with confidence. Because now, you don’t need to guess.

You see what matters most.

Welcome to TSORI. Where every ingredient tells the truth.