INCI
International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient. A naming system, not a product rating.
CosIng
An EU cosmetic ingredient information database that can help with names, functions, and regulatory references.
Preservative
An ingredient or system used to help control microbial risk in a cosmetic product.
UV filter
An ingredient used in sunscreen systems to absorb, reflect, or scatter ultraviolet radiation, depending on type and product design.
Fragrance / Parfum
A scent system. It is often a personal preference or sensitivity check.
Alcohol
A broad label term. Alcohol Denat. is different from fatty alcohols such as cetyl alcohol or cetearyl alcohol.
Personal profile
A saved set of review preferences, such as fragrance-free, alcohol-free, family context, or a custom watchlist.
Ingredient order
The order of a cosmetic ingredient list gives a useful rough signal, but it is not a complete concentration table. Similar positions can still mean different roles depending on product type, region, and formula design.
Function group
A practical way to read a label is to group names by likely role before judging one ingredient. Humectants, emollients, surfactants, preservatives, UV filters, pigments, fragrance materials, pH adjusters, and film formers answer different questions.
Leave-on and rinse-off
Contact time changes the reading. A cleanser, wash-off mask, leave-on serum, sunscreen, eye product, body lotion, and hair product should not use the same shortcut rules.
Source note
A source note explains where a claim comes from and what it can actually support. Regulatory databases, product labels, brand pages, and personal experience each have a narrower job.
How to use this glossary
Use these definitions as a starting point, then open a guide or ingredient dossier for context. The useful sequence is term, product type, function group, source boundary, and personal history.