Label Literacy for Beauty Shoppers

The scan pattern

1. First five ingredients — this is the product's real identity
2. Find phenoxyethanol (or any preservative) — everything after it is sub-1%
3. Locate the star ingredient — if the hero active sits after the preservative, it is garnish, not content
4. Check "free from" claims against the list** — marketing on the front, facts on the back

Concentration matters: 2% niacinamide and 10% niacinamide are different products wearing the same name.

Words that mean something

• "Fragrance-free" — no parfum in the INCI (verifiable)
• "Non-comedogenic" — a convention, not a regulated standard (see our glossary entry)
• "Clinically tested" — ask: on how many people, measuring what, for how long

Words that mean nothing

"Dermatologist-recommended" without a study. "Chemical-free" (everything is chemicals). "Clean" (unregulated everywhere).

The Coyglow standard: every efficacy claim on our site links to the study or the concentration that supports it.