The ingredient list is the most important information about a product, it deals with the product’s characteristics, selling points, and compliance issues. Writing a proper list is not as simple as one might think, here we will help you understand how to write it and the issues you should know.
What is CAS and NICI?
Before writing, it is very important to understand CAS and INCI, as they are the ID of each ingredient.
Cosmetic ingredients can have different chemical names(trade names, common names, etc.) in different countries and are described in many different ways (molecular formulas, structure diagrams, etc.), it is important for us to standardize them to provide a reliable, common, international link to minimize the barriers that prevent consumer understanding and international trade. This is where NICI and CAS come in.
INCI(International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) is an internationally recognized systematic name used to identify cosmetic ingredients. They were developed by the International Nomenclature Committee (INC) and are published in the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook.
The CAS number is a registration number developed by the American Chemical Abstracts Service for chemical substances. It is unique and provides access to a wealth of information about a chemical substance (but it does not have any chemical significance in itself) and is an important tool for retrieving information about multiple chemical substances.
Why some NICI names have multiple CAS numbers?
When multiple numbers are unintentionally assigned to the same chemical substance, that chemical substance may have multiple CAS numbers. Note that this is an unintentional behavior, and the reason for this multiple assignments is that the substance is initially considered unique, but after further review by a chemist, is determined to be the same substance.
In reality, CAS has nothing to do with the INCI database, they are two different systems.
Likewise, multiple INCI names may have the same CAS number. For details, refer to the elaboration of PCPC.
Why some substances don’t have CAS numbers?
If you can’t find the CAS number inside the INCI list, it is most likely because:
- The ingredient is a mixture, most often a preservative, at which point we must declare each ingredient separately.
- The ingredient is a fragrance, due to the complexity of the fragrance, listing each ingredient is not a very easy thing, so the regulations allow the fragrance can not be listed, as “perfume” instead.
- This is a natural ingredient, do not need to list it out.
So which CAS number should I use?
In view of the variability of regulations around the world, we recommend visiting the official website of the local authority.
- United States: United States National Library of Medicine
- Canada: Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
- Europe: European Chemical Substances Information System
- Australia: Search Tool of Australian Inventory of Chemical Substance
How to write the ingredient list?
Once you know the above information, making a recipe sheet becomes extremely easy, you just need to make it in the following order and pay attention to some details.
- Confirm that the composition of the product is accurate and complete by listing the names of all the ingredients.
- Check if all the components correspond to the correct NICI and CAS numbers, you can check on the official website of the local regulatory authority.
- Arrange the correct order: all ingredients are arranged in proportion to their level from largest to smallest.
- List allergens: If the product has fragrance it will involve allergens, the presence of the substance must be indicated in the list of ingredients on the label when its concentration exceeds: 0.001% in leave-on products and or 0.01% in rinse-off products.
It should be noted that the rules for the writing ingredients are slightly different due to the differences in local regulations.
