Reference
Halal Ingredient Index
Type any ingredient from the back of a pack. We publish what it is made from and whether we will formulate with it — including the answers that are inconvenient for us.
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A crimson pigment rendered from cochineal insects, used across lipsticks, blushes and cream products.
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Cetearyl Alcohol
A waxy fatty alcohol used to thicken and soften emulsions.
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A humectant that draws water into the skin. Halal status depends entirely on whether the feedstock was plant or animal fat.
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CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Mineral pigments providing red, yellow and black tones. The standard carmine-free route to a true red.
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Niacinamide
Vitamin B3 derivative. Supports the skin barrier and evens tone.
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Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Rich plant butter pressed from the nut of the shea tree.
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Squalane
A lightweight emollient. Modern cosmetic squalane is usually olive- or sugarcane-derived.
Why this index exists
An INCI list is a legal document written in Latin and colour-index numbers, and it is the only honest way to check a cosmetic. It is also unreadable unless someone tells you what the names mean. This index is that translation, published in full, whether or not it flatters us — the list of what we never use is the part of it that costs us something.