How to Read a Hair Product Label (INCI) in Two Minutes

Read the first five ingredients, because an ingredient list runs from most to least. Then scan for three things: the water and oils doing the moisturizing, any protein (look for "hydrolyzed … protein"), and what's cleansing or preserving the formula. And don't flinch at the word "alcohol" — fatty alcohols like cetyl and stearyl alcohol are conditioners, not the drying kind.

Every product I make has its full ingredient list on the jar and on the product page, because I think you should be able to read a formula the way I do. Once you know the pattern, it takes about two minutes. Let's read one together.

What is INCI, and why are the names so strange?

INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients — the standard naming system that lets the same ingredient carry the same name on every label. Plants go by their Latin botanical name, usually with the common name in parentheses. "Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil" is avocado oil. "Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract" is rosemary.

Once you know to look inside the parentheses, half the list translates itself.

Why does ingredient order matter?

In the US, ingredients are listed in descending order of amount. One nuance: anything at 1% or less can be listed in any order after the rest. So the top of the list tells you what the product mostly is. The bottom tells you what's fine-tuning it — preservatives, extracts, fragrance.

One more thing worth knowing: the ingredient in a product's name isn't always the biggest one. Check where it actually sits.

What do the first five ingredients tell me?

Here's the full list for our Babassu Deep Conditioner:

Purified Water (Aqua), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Stearyl Alcohol, Vegetable Glycerin, Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil, Cetrimonium Chloride, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Panthenol, Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Phthalate-Free Fragrance (Parfum).

Now the first five, translated:

1. Purified Water (Aqua) — the base. Water first means a water-based formula, which also means it has a pH and needs a preservative.
2. Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil — rice bran oil. An oil, not a protein.
3. Cetyl Alcohol — a fatty alcohol that softens and gives the cream its body.
4. Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine — a conditioner that picks up a positive charge in an acidic formula, so it's drawn to the negatively charged, worn spots on your strand. That's where slip comes from.
5. Stearyl Alcohol — another conditioning fatty alcohol.

Water, one oil, three conditioners. That reads like a moisture treatment, which is exactly what it is. Further down you'll find glycerin (a humectant, meaning it pulls water toward itself), babassu seed oil, Cetrimonium Chloride (another positively charged conditioner), avocado oil, panthenol (pro-vitamin B5, another humectant), and Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate — the preservative system that keeps a water-based product safe to use.

Notice what isn't there: nothing "hydrolyzed." That's how you can confirm a product is protein-free yourself, without taking anyone's word for it.

Which alcohols are drying and which are conditioning?

"Alcohol" on a label can mean two very different things.

• Drying alcohols are short-chain alcohols that evaporate fast: Alcohol Denat., SD Alcohol, Ethanol, Isopropyl Alcohol. Used high in a leave-in, they can make dry hair feel drier.
• Fatty alcohols are long-chain, waxy, and usually plant-derived: Cetyl, Stearyl, Cetearyl, and Behenyl Alcohol. They soften, add slip, and give creams their texture.

Our formulas use the second kind and none of the first.

How do I spot protein, coconut oil, or sulfates?

Protein. Scan for "hydrolyzed" plus a protein (wheat, rice, soy, oat, keratin), and for keratin, amino acids, or peptides. Our Curl Enhancing Custard is a clear example:

Purified Water (Aqua), Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Vegetable Glycerin, Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Phthalate-Free Fragrance (Parfum).

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein sits sixth, right after Carbomer (the polymer that gives the gel its hold). So the Custard is not protein-free, and we say so. If your hair is protein-sensitive, our guide to protein vs. protein-free hair products covers what to do about it.

Coconut oil. Look for "Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil," or in a soap bar, "saponified coconut oil" or "sodium cocoate." Here's our Argan Rose Hair Oil:

Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Phthalate-Free Fragrance (Parfum).

The name leads with argan. The label leads with coconut. If coconut oil stiffens your hair, that list just told you to skip this one, and I'd rather you know before you buy. Ingredients with "coco" in the name, like coco-glucoside, are made from coconut fatty acids; whether they bother coconut-sensitive hair varies from person to person. Our Coconut-Oil-Free collection is sorted for you.

Sulfates. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate are strong detergents. You won't find them in OBIA products — our bars clean with soap instead, which I explain in shampoo bar vs. liquid shampoo.

What does "fragrance (parfum)" mean on a label?

It's one word covering a blend of scent ingredients. US labeling rules let brands list that blend as "fragrance" rather than naming each component. Every OBIA product contains a phthalate-free fragrance, so none of them are fragrance-free or unscented. If your skin is sensitive to fragrance, patch test any new product on a small area first — good practice with any brand.

Quick answers

What does INCI stand for?

International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It's the standard naming system for cosmetic ingredients, which is why plants appear by their Latin names.

Are ingredients listed by amount?

Yes, from most to least. Ingredients at 1% or less can appear in any order at the end of the list.

Is cetearyl alcohol bad for curly hair?

No. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol — it softens hair and adds slip. The drying ones are short-chain alcohols like alcohol denat. and isopropyl alcohol.

How can I tell if a product is protein-free?

Read the whole list for "hydrolyzed … protein," keratin, amino acids, or peptides. If none appear, it's protein-free. Rice bran oil and soybean oil are oils, not proteins.

Why is water the first ingredient in so many conditioners?

Because water is the moisture. Conditioners, leave-ins, and creams are water-based on purpose; the oils and conditioners in them help that water stay in the strand.

Want to practice? Pull up the Babassu Deep Conditioner label, then browse our Ingredients page for what every ingredient in the line does.