Reading INCI lists has become a major transparency issue for both consumers and brands. Faced with technical and standardised ingredient declarations, cosmetic analysis applications help decode the components present in formulations.
Yuka, INCI Beauty and Clean Beauty are among the most widely used tools to analyse cosmetic products, understand ingredient composition and identify substances considered controversial.
The INCI List: international ingredient reference
The INCI list (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) is an international system created in 1973 to standardise cosmetic ingredient names worldwide.
Displayed on product packaging, it allows identification of all components within a formulation. Ingredients present at concentrations above 1% must be listed in descending order. Below this threshold, their order may vary.
Exact ingredient concentrations are not disclosed in order to protect manufacturing know-how and intellectual property.
Cosmetic analysis: applications available on iOS and Android
Several mobile applications allow users to analyse cosmetic products by scanning the barcode or photographing the INCI list.
Yuka: Widely adopted by consumers, Yuka provides an overall product score and categorises ingredients according to its internal evaluation methodology and database.
INCI Beauty: specialising in detailed INCI list analysis. It highlights ingredients considered controversial and assigns ratings based on its own assessment criteria.
Clean Beauty : developed with a pedagogical approach, Clean Beauty enables analysis via a simple photograph of the INCI list. The application provides a glossary explaining the function and role of each ingredient to enhance user understanding.
INCI Analysis and regulatory reality
It is essential to clarify that mobile applications do not replace the mandatory regulatory safety assessment performed by a qualified toxicologist under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Any cosmetic product placed on the European market undergoes:
- A formal safety assessment
- Stability and compatibility testing
- Microbiological control
- Regulatory compliance verification before placement on European and global markets
Application ratings rely on proprietary methodologies and may differ from official regulatory frameworks.
Transparency and industrial responsibility
At Laboratoire Orescience, cosmetic formulation is structured around regulatory compliance, raw material traceability and independent scientific evaluation.
We support brands in developing formulations aligned with European and international market requirements by integrating:
- Regulatory ingredient analysis
- Verification of restricted substances
- Alignment with European and international market trends
- Structuring of compliant claims
Formulation transparency has become a strategic positioning lever for cosmetic brands.
Cosmetic formulation and regulatory compliance
Laboratoire Orescience supports brands in the development and manufacturing of cosmetic and dermocosmetic formulas adapted to European and export market requirements.
From formulation development to industrial-scale production, our teams ensure full traceability, regulatory validation and batch-to-batch consistency.
→ Discover our private label cosmetic manufacturing services.
