INCI Dictionary

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In response to HBN member feedback, we are pleased to announce that HBN's members only INCI name listings are here! This INCI listing is a PARTIAL listing of some of the thousands of INCI names that appear in the INCI Dictionary. Now, HBN members now have access - straight from the source - to the names required to be used to identify various ingredients used in their cosmetic products!

No more relying on discussion groups! No more poring over department store product labels! Both can be wrong! HBN has the INCI names you need - straight from the source.

The Background*

As you know, while the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) does not "pre-approve" cosmetics for sale, it does requires that all cosmetics be labeled with, among other things, the ingredients contained in the product. Though there are exceptions, in the great majority of cases, these ingredients must be listed in descending order of predominance in the product.

Though the FDA rarely establishes a name for a specific cosmetic ingredient, if it has done so, that name can be found in the US Code of Federal Regulations at 21 C.F.R. § 701.30, and that name must be used to identify the ingredient on the product label. If the law does not specify the name to be used, the FDA has specified in 21 C.F.R. § 701.3 that the first source to consult after § 701.30 is the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association (CTFA) Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary**, which contains the required International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI) labeling names.

The INCI system was introduced in 1973 by CTFA's International Nomenclature Committee to support the process of international labeling harmonization. The Dictionary details approximately 12,000 INCI names and the corresponding trade and technical names.

The Dictionary is part of a 4-volume publication available from CTFA for $795.00 and HBN has purchased the entire set. The compilation and arrangement of INCI names in the Dictionary is protected by copyright law so HBN will not copy any pages from the Dictionary for members. However, since the INCI names themselves are required by federal law to be used, the names themselves are shared here for HBN members who need them for labeling purposes.

The Benefit

No more relying on discussion groups! No more poring over department store product labels! Both can be wrong! HBN has the INCI names you need - straight from the source. HBN is pleased to provide its members with the exact INCI names required to be used to identify most of the ingredients used by small manufacturers of handmade beauty products -- everything from shea butter and vegetable glycerin to bamboo powder and babassu oil!

This INCI listing is a PARTIAL listing of some of the thousands of INCI names that appear in the INCI Dictionary. If you are looking for an ingredient that is not on our list email a request to have it added.

If you are not a member of HBN, you can join today!

*The information provided here is informational only and is not intended to be legal advice. If you require legal advice about labeling your products, please consult with an attorney who can address your individual product labeling needs.

**Secondary sources include the United States Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary.