Guides
20 short guides to reading a beauty ingredient list. Each one answers a single question in plain English, names the regulator or public body it relies on, and links to the ingredients it mentions.
Updated October 22, 2026
All guides
Drying alcohols and fatty alcohols on a label
Ethanol and alcohol denat. are one group. Cetyl, stearyl and cetearyl alcohol are another. How Poliage sorts them and what sources say.
Essential oils on an ingredient list
Essential oils are volatile plant oils. How Poliage flags them, what DermNet NZ says about contact allergy, and the link to EU fragrance allergen labels.
What are the EU fragrance allergens?
The EU requires named labeling of listed fragrance allergens above set limits. The original 26, the 2023 additions, thresholds and dates.
How to read an ingredient list
What the ingredient list on a beauty product tells you, what the names mean, and what it leaves out, using FDA and EU labeling rules.
What is hyaluronic acid on an ingredient list?
Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan, and sodium hyaluronate is its salt. What the names mean on a label and the humectant function Poliage lists.
Does ingredient order show how much is in a product?
Ingredient lists run from most to least, but only down to 1%. Below that, any order is allowed. What the order shows and what it hides.
Pairs and situations that regulators and DermNet flag
26 statements from the FDA, NHS and DermNet NZ about ingredients used together or in certain situations, each attributed, with no added advice.
What does ‘may contain’ mean on a makeup label?
Makeup labels can list colorants after ‘may contain’ or ‘+/-’. What the EU rule and the FDA say, what CI numbers are, and how Poliage reads them.
What is niacinamide on an ingredient list?
Niacinamide is the amide of vitamin B3, also called nicotinamide. How it appears on a label, its CosIng-based function, and what Poliage shows.
What does the open jar symbol on a label mean?
The open jar symbol is the EU period-after-opening mark, shown with a number of months. What the law says, and what the FDA requires in the U.S.
Parabens in cosmetics: what the rules say
Parabens are preservatives. What the FDA says, which five the EU bans, and the EU limits for methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl parabens.
How do you patch test a new product?
What the AAD, FDA and DermNet say about testing a small area, the FDA hair dye skin test, in-office patch tests, and contact allergy basics.
Retinoids, AHAs and salicylic acid: what sources say
What DermNet NZ and the FDA say about retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids and salicylic acid: sun sensitivity, irritation, pregnancy and using them together.
Silicones on an ingredient list
What silicone names look like on a label, what the sources say they do on skin and hair, and how Poliage groups about 700 CosIng names under one flag.
How do dermatologists describe skin types?
How the AAD, DermNet and an NHS body describe normal, dry, oily and combination skin and sensitive skin, and how Poliage reviews can name a skin type.
Skin care routine order: what sources say
What the AAD, FDA and DermNet NZ say about the order and timing of skin care products. Poliage does not prescribe a routine.
SPF and broad spectrum on a sunscreen label
What SPF and broad spectrum mean, per the FDA and AAD: sunburn protection, UVA and UVB, the Drug Facts label, water resistance and how much to apply.
Sulfates in face wash and shampoo
Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are foaming wash-off ingredients. What the group covers, what NHS and DermNet NZ say, and the flag.
Mineral and chemical UV filters in sunscreen
What UV filters are, how the FDA and DermNet NZ describe mineral and chemical filters, how EU rules list them, and how Poliage flags them.
What does fragrance or parfum cover on a label?
Fragrance or parfum on an ingredient list can stand for many components. What FDA and EU rules allow, and what CosIng says the term means.