Trying to read any packaging can be confusing at times, especially with increasing requirements that must be listed and included on a product for transparency.
As consumers are becoming more and more interested in what they are putting on their skin they are intrigued to learn what ingredients are in each product and what they do. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Beauty and skincare packaging and ingredients lists can be complex and hard to break down.
We’ve taken on the task of decoding and translating these packaging lists to help you navigate your way around a product from front to back, top and bottom.
The Ingredient List
Ingredient lists for beauty and skincare are constructed like food. Ingredients are listed from their highest to lowest concentration within the formulation. Meaning the first product listed is the highest concentration and the last on the list has the least. Some ingredients may be small in quantity but high in concentration, look into all ingredients right until the very end, not just the first few. It’s also important to read the ingredients list to review whether products contain any ingredients that you may be sensitive to or allergic to. If in doubt always patch test a new product before using it for the first time.
Ingredient lists also need to use their scientific names and for plants that means their Latin names. Often the English name will be placed in parenthesis to help decipher them a little more easily.
On each of our products and online product pages, you’ll find the full list of ingredients as well as the breakdown of % totals for their natural origin and organic farming.
“I feel it’s important for everyone to do their research, learn how to read ingredient lists, know what their products contain and what to avoid and make an educated choice about what they are putting on their skin. Because what you put on your skin, soaks in” – Miranda Kerr
Certification Identification
Look for a certification mark such as the Ecocert, COSMOS or ACO logos to ensure you are getting what you paid for. Certification ensures that the product has met the strict requirements of an industry body. This can help eliminate any concerns you have about whether or not a product is truly organic or not.
Product Claims
Be wary of claims a product is making and how likely they are to be true. Look out for research claims that don’t indicate by how many people, and the nature of the research.
Expiration Dates
Following expiration dates is important. The product ingredients may begin to change once the product surpasses its expiration date. You can find the expiration dates usually on the bottom or sides of products or along the top of a tube, and usually sits next to their batch number.
Other Logos and Symbols
You might find other symbols or logos showing up on your packaging. If you’re ever unsure of whether the logos featured on packaging are official, conduct a quick search and you should be able to see whether it is from a recognized and legitimate certification body.
Bunny Logos
A bunny rabbit or bunny ears indicates the product is cruelty-free. At KORA Organics, we are proud to state our products are never tested on animals and are cruelty-free. Our packaging carries the P.E.T.A logo.
“KORA Organics products are tested on me, not on animals” – Miranda Kerr
Open Jar Symbol
The image of an open jar with 6M, 12M or 24M or the hourglass symbol can indicate how many months shelf life the product has once opened.
Hourglass Symbol
The hourglass or egg timer symbol represents the best before end date and the product used before it’s marked end date. This symbol indicates that the product has a lifespan of less than 30 months.
Open Book Symbol
Sometimes not all the information can fit on the outside of a skincare or beauty product. In this case, a hand pointing at an open book can placed on the packaging to indicate that further product information is available in an enclosed leaflet.
Mobius Loop Symbol
Those three arrows turning to form a triangle is called a Mobius loop, It’s used on packaging to indicate that the packaging is recyclable.
It’s time to make informed decisions about what we are applying to our skin.
KORA Organics
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Thankyou this is so helpful ???
Great article ! Useful and important information ?
Thanks KORA Organics Team for all information, it’s usefull for everybody!
Thank you for this useful information. ?