How to Spot Harmful Ingredients in Cosmetics

Many skincare products contain substances that can trigger skin irritation, allergic reactions or – with long-term use – health concerns. The good news: with a few simple steps, you can spot problematic ingredients yourself. The key points at a glance:

• Look at the INCI names: substances such as parabens, formaldehyde releasers and sulphates are repeatedly criticised.
• Use apps: tools such as CodeCheck or Yuka rate ingredients when you scan a barcode.
• Trust certification labels: certifications such as COSMOS or NATRUE stand for verified natural cosmetics.
• Be careful with umbrella terms such as “Parfum”: they can hide substances that are not declared individually.

Tip: focus on the first five to six ingredients – they make up the bulk of a formulation.

How to read the INCI list correctly

Reading the ingredient list becomes much easier once you understand the INCI system (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients). It labels ingredients in the same way worldwide.

Decoding INCI names

In the INCI system, ingredients are mostly listed in Latin or English – water is called Aqua, vitamin E Tocopherol. Important: the order shows the concentration, from highest to lowest. So the first five to six entries often make up the bulk of the product.

Keeping an eye on critical ingredients

Limited transparency with “Parfum” and “Fragrance”

Terms such as Parfum or Fragrance are a special case. They often group together numerous fragrance substances that are not listed individually for reasons of trade secrecy. These can include phthalates, which are considered hormonally active. If your skin is sensitive, it is worth reaching for products that are explicitly fragrance-free.

Health risks of critical ingredients

Understanding labels is the first step – it is just as important to know why certain substances are controversial. Three groups are particularly in focus:

Formaldehyde releasers

Formaldehyde releasers such as Imidazolidinyl Urea gradually release small amounts of formaldehyde, which is considered an irritant and contact allergen. They are found, for example, as preservatives in some face creams.

Hormonally active substances

Substances such as BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) as well as phthalates are discussed in research as potentially hormonally active. Because we use many care products every day, the exposure can add up over the day – a good reason to avoid unnecessary critical substances.

Mineral oil and sulphates

Even seemingly harmless base ingredients can be problematic: depending on its purity, mineral oil can be contaminated with unwanted impurities, and sulphates strip the skin of its oils. Especially for dry or sensitive skin, milder plant-based alternatives are the better choice.

Tools for checking ingredients

You don’t need to know every INCI name by heart. These helpers do the work for you:

Scanner apps

CodeCheck shows you instantly what is in a product when you scan its barcode, and suggests safer alternatives. Yuka works with a traffic-light system: green means harmless, yellow calls for caution, red advises against.

Online databases

The EWG Skin Deep database rates thousands of ingredients and products on a scale from 1 to 10. INCI Decoder explains the function of individual substances and makes products comparable.

A note on using them

These tools are a good guide – but not a diagnosis. Your skin may react differently than a general rating suggests. Use them as a compass, not as the final word.

Spotting clean products

If you want to avoid critical substances, a few pointers will quickly lead you to gentler alternatives.

Natural preservation

Good natural cosmetics do without questionable preservatives and rely on plant-based helpers instead:

• Vitamin E (Tocopherol): protects against oxidation and has a mild preserving effect.
• Rosemary extract: supports shelf life and is antioxidant.

Certifications as a guide

Certification labels take the guesswork out of it because they are tied to fixed criteria:

At natüür, that is exactly the aim: the skincare is vegan, dermatologically tested, made in Germany and free from parabens and artificial colourants. It is based on the patented neem leaf extract NEEMAVERA®. You can read what natüür formulates with – and what is deliberately left out – on the Our ingredients page; you will find the right care in the skincare collection.

Conclusion

Safe skincare is above all a matter of informed decisions – and they are easier to make than you might think. That even big brands are not automatically harmless was shown in 2021 by the recall of several sun protection products in which the impurity benzene had been detected. With these three habits, you are on the safe side:

• Read the first ingredients on the INCI list consciously.
• If in doubt, use a scanner app (CodeCheck, Yuka) or a database (EWG Skin Deep).
• Look for recognised certification labels such as COSMOS, NATRUE or EWG Verified.

FAQ

Which ingredients should I avoid in skincare?

As a rule of thumb, these substances are worth a second look:

• Parabens (methyl-, propylparaben) – suspected of having hormonal effects.
• Formaldehyde releasers (DMDM Hydantoin, Quaternium-15) – potential for irritation and allergies.
• Sulphates & PEG – substances ending in “-eth” such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
• Umbrella term “Parfum”/“Fragrance” – especially for sensitive skin.

Check the first entries on the list in particular and, if in doubt, use one of the apps mentioned. That way you can make well-informed buying decisions – no chemistry degree required.