How To Read A Skin Care Label Without Getting Lost
Most of the front of the bottle is marketing. The useful information is on the back, in order.
The front of a skin care bottle is written to be bought. The back is written because it has to be, and that is where the information actually lives.
The ingredient list is in descending order by amount, down to about one percent. After that the order stops meaning much, which is worth knowing before paying extra for something listed eighteenth.
Water is usually first. That is normal and not a complaint.
What is worth looking for on the back
- Where water stops and the actual ingredients start.
- Whether the ingredient on the front appears in the first third of the list.
- Fragrance or parfum, which is one word covering many things.
- The small open-jar symbol with a number, which is months after opening.
- A short list, which is easier to troubleshoot when something irritates you.
The part nobody puts on the front
A routine that gets used every day beats a better one that sits in the cabinet. Most people do not stop because a product failed; they stop because the routine had six steps.
If the subject is interesting rather than annoying, the book below is a reasonable place to start.
A reasonable place to start reading: a dermatologist on what the ingredients do and what the labels leave out.
See the book on Amazon →The content on this page is for general information and personal reading only. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with a qualified professional. Names have been changed for privacy.