Authored by the Personal Care Products Council (the Council), the trade association for the
cosmetic and personal care industry, the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook
provides a comprehensive listing of ingredients used in cosmetic and personal care products for the
benefit of consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and manufacturers. The combined
dictionary/handbook contains more than 13,000 International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI)
labeling names for the United States, the European Union, and other countries. These are
cross-referenced to nearly 60,000 trade and technical names and 3,000 suppliers from 91
countries.
Benefits for Consumers:
The need for uniformity in cosmetic ingredient nomenclature has been recognized in countries
around the world. There are numerous benefits to a uniform system of labeling names for cosmetic
ingredients, including the consistency and transparency provided to consumers as ingredients are
identified by a single labeling name regardless of the national origin of the product.
Scientists and dermatologists are also ensured that information will be referenced by a uniform
name, eliminating the possibility of confusion or misidentification from the use of multiple
names for the same material.
History:
The first edition of the Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary was published in 1973 and was cited by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the primary source of ingredient names for the FDA regulation
requiring cosmetic ingredient labeling (U.S. Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 701.3).
The 11th edition of the dictionary was published in 2006.
Other Key Information:
In addition to ingredient names, the dictionary also includes information on the chemical class,
functions and product use categories as reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
when available. It provides information on
Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) numbers, empirical formulas, and over-the-counter drugs and
includes an index that cross-references Latin and common English botanical names, a Japan
index that lists prohibited and restricted ingredients, a list of ingredients evaluated for
safety by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel, and references to appropriate
EU Annexes.
