Do all ingredients have to be listed in cosmetics? (2023)

Do I have to list all my ingredients?

FDA requires cosmetics to have an “ingredient declaration,” a list of all the product's ingredients. FDA requires this labeling under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA).

A. Food manufacturers are required to list all ingredients in the food on the label. On a product label, the ingredients are listed in order of predominance, with the ingredients used in the greatest amount first, followed in descending order by those in smaller amounts.

In most cases, ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration—in other words, the ingredients present in the highest concentrations top the list, and so on.

Companies that make household cleaning products aren't required by law to print a full list of ingredients on their packaging.

If an ingredient is present at an incidental level and has no functional or technical effect in the finished product, then it need not be declared on the label. An incidental additive is usually present because it is an ingredient of another ingredient.

No. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) only applies to food products regulated by the FDA. Even if they have food ingredients, cosmetics are not food products.

The name and address of the company or individual (known as the 'Responsible Person') and the country of origin if imported into the EU. The net content by weight or volume if more than five grams or five millilitres.

The biggest: Companies have no legal obligation to post ingredient lists online. The FDA does ask beauty brands to disclose ingredients on physical packaging, but those that solely exist on the internet — with no product in physical stores, as is fairly common in indie beauty — don't even have to do that.

Are companies allowed to hide ingredients?

Trade secrets are one place where a company can bury things and you won't have any idea what they are. The FDA allows companies to classify items that the company terms a “trade secret” in a general manner. The FDA, by the way, is not the only government agency to allow such latitude.

Manufacturers and marketers are finally joining the unstoppable movement for product transparency. For too long, many companies have hidden behind archaic laws that let them keep their products' ingredients secret. For many kinds of products, companies aren't required to disclose any ingredients at all.

Ingredients are listed in order of their concentrations, “except for ones that are less than 1 percent of the formula and colorants, fragrances, and preservatives,” says King. Those can be listed in any order the manufacturer likes, adds cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, the founder of Beautystat.com.

Under the law, cosmetic products and ingredients do not need FDA premarket approval, with the exception of color additives. However, FDA can pursue enforcement action against products on the market that are not in compliance with the law, or against firms or individuals who violate the law.

Know the basics. "Ingredients are listed in descending order, starting with the largest amount in the product (usually water). If a product touts a particular ingredient but it is listed near the end of the list, then not much of that ingredient is present."

How to read the ingredient list. The ingredients in packaged food and beverage items are listed separately from (and often below) the Nutrition Facts label. This information lists each ingredient in the product by its common or usual name, and in descending order by weight.

The ingredient list tells us the order, by weight, of each ingredient in the food. Sometimes, these ingredients will have a list of ingredients after them in parentheses, which tells us what makes up that food.