INCI ingredient list formatter

What is INCI?

INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It is a standard set of names for cosmetic ingredients, so one ingredient carries the same name on every label. A committee of the Personal Care Products Council assigns the names. Water is Aqua, and vitamin E is Tocopherol.

Paste your ingredients, one per line or separated by commas, and add a percentage after a dash if you know it (for example "Aqua - 70%" or "Parfum - <1%"). The tool draws the list as it would sit on a label. It runs in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded. When the preview looks right, download the SVG for your artwork or copy the text. The percentages only help the tool check your order, and they don't go on the label.

Verify individual INCI names against CosIng. Retinol and lavender oil have EU restrictions (Annex III). Check before exporting to the EU. The tool suggests INCI names for the 31 ingredients in the table below and no others.

How to list ingredients on a cosmetic label in NZ

The EPA's Cosmetic Products Group Standard 2020 sets the order. Clause 1(2) of Schedule 1 asks for this sequence:

1. Ingredients at 1% or more, in descending order by volume or mass.
2. Ingredients below 1%, in any order.
3. Colour additives, in any order.
4. Flavour and fragrance, written as "flavour" or "aroma" and "fragrance" or "parfum", or listed by the ingredients they contain.

The standard lets you name ingredients with common chemical names or INCI names. This tool formats to INCI, so pick the INCI name for each ingredient and stay with it. Colour additives are usually written as their Colour Index (CI) numbers.

If the pack is too small, the ingredient list can go on the outer carton or a leaflet. Tiny items (under 80 cm²) sold from a display can list it on the display. Free samples and testers are exempt.

The tool warns only when an ingredient at 1% or more is listed after one with a lower percentage. Two ingredients under 1% never trigger a warning, and an ingredient with no percentage can't be checked for order.

Our guide to cosmetic ingredient labelling in NZ covers the rest of the label. The tool flags likely issues in your list. It is a check, not legal sign-off.

Fragrance allergens and preservatives

Not required in NZ (fragrance or parfum is enough). If you sell into the EU, a fragrance allergen on the EU list must be named when above 0.001% in leave-on products or 0.01% in rinse-off products. The EU list grew by 56 in 2023. Products placed on the EU market from 31 July 2026 must comply; older stock can stay on sale until 31 July 2028. NZ fragrance materials must comply with the IFRA Standards (50th amendment, Group Standard cl 9).

This tool recognises only the 26 long-standing EU allergens. Check preservative limits against Schedules 4–8 of the EPA Cosmetic Products Group Standard 2020.

Common mistakes

• Mixing naming styles. A list with "coconut oil" in one place and "Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil" in another looks unfinished. Use one style all the way through.
• Water or Aqua. Aqua is the INCI name for water. Whichever you choose, use it across your whole range.
• Ordering colours and fragrance with the rest. Colour additives, flavour and fragrance come after the other ingredients, so keep them out of the descending order.
• Printing it too small to read. An ingredient list is small type on a bottle that gets wet and oily. Print it on waterproof BOPP labels and check a proof at full size.