An INCI name is a systematic name coined by the International Nomenclature Committee to describe a cosmetic ingredient.
INCI names are recognized around the world to identify cosmetic ingredients, and are referenced by regulation for product labeling in many countries.
File an electronic INCI application. Click here for details: https://inci.personalcarecouncil.org/
No. The application is only available electronically.
Persons filing an INCI application occasionally request that information being submitted be considered “confidential” or a “trade secret.” Neither the Council nor the INC has procedures that are capable of guarding such information from public disclosure. Persons making such requests must be advised that the information provided on the application and attachments cannot be accepted in confidence. To the extent that the Council does receive a request for confidentiality of information, the sender will be informed about the policy on confidentiality and offered an opportunity to withdraw the application. Until the confidentiality issue has been resolved, and the sender has agreed to proceed, the INC will not consider the application.
While neither the Council nor the INC has the capability to ensure confidentiality, all activities conducted by the Council and the INC must adhere to the Council’s Antitrust Policy. As such, INC members should avoid discussing current or future product prices charged by an individual applicant. This includes the price of a specific transaction, or price levels in the market generally, past, present, or future. Discussing individual company or industry sales levels, capacities, inventories, or market shares is also to be avoided or specific cost structures.
Persons filing an INCI application must acknowledge that the goal of the INCI Program is to promote the widespread use and international recognition of common, uniform, science-based ingredient names (INCI names) for use in cosmetics, and they must agree not to seek intellectual property protection for, or rights in, any existing or applied for INCI name.
No. INCI names do not imply that an ingredient has been approved for use, or that an ingredient is safe. INCI names provide the systematic name for the identification of a cosmetic ingredient. For further information, see Regulatory Information
INCI names are published in the databases associated with INCIpedia. Subscription information to the databases can be accessed from the menu bar. A Public Access area to search for INCI names is available to non-subscribers. The public access area features INCI names, technical synonyms and related CAS or EC numbers (where available), and links to the safety evaluations conducted by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, an independent program with a panel of world-class experts in medicine and science that is charged with evaluating all of the available data on the use of cosmetic ingredients and determining if that data demonstrate the safe use of an ingredient in cosmetic products. Non-subscribers must create credentials and "Sign In" for access to the Public area.
The INCI number refers to the monograph ID number that is associated with the INCI name. The monograph ID number is a place holder in the database and is not intended to be included with the INCI name for product labeling. This number is not the same as a CAS number.
INCI names can only be assigned by the International Cosmetic Ingredient Nomenclature Committee.
Effective January 1, 2024, the INCI application fee will be $1000 USD per application. Applications successfully submitted will be honored at the current price until December 31, 2023. Please be aware that draft applications are not considered “submitted” until payment has been processed.
It is advisable to apply at least 6 months before product launch.
The approximate time frame is 3-6 months. Click here for details: INCI Application – Name Assignment Timetable.
Only one trade name may be submitted per application (e.g., separate applications may be filed for each trade name).
You may indicate N/A on the application if you do not have a tradename. If you plan to supply a tradename at a later date, please be sure to note this on the application.
There is a field on the application that asks for this information. Select “no” if you do not want to have your trade name or company name published.
Yes. Select the “save” icon on the application. When you re-enter the site, your application can be accessed from your application dashboard.
Yes, but once the application has been submitted, it cannot be changed. If additional information is requested to support the application, an email notification will be sent to the applicant, and the application will be re-opened so that the requested information can be provided.
Trade name changes do not require an application or a fee. Trade name changes may be sent to inci@personalcarecouncil.org.
Changes to address listings may be sent to inci@personalcarecouncil.org.
Contact Daniel Kim, kimd@personalcarecouncil.org, or Patrick Cherestal, cherestalp@personalcarecouncil.org.
After the application has been reviewed by the INC, an email notification will be sent to the address on the application via the application site.
Yes. There is no application for a name change. Requests may be sent via email. Please be aware when new information is submitted through the petition process, it is possible that the INC may identify a name that is different from the requested name and different from the original assigned name. Also, petitions may not be withdrawn once a decision is rendered. Click here for INCI Name Change Procedures.
At the present time, there is no fee to request a revision in an INCI name. Click here for more details: INCI Name Change Procedures.
The database is updated nightly.
The last printed copy of the Dictionary was the 16th edition published in 2016. Currently, there are no plans to resume publication of print copies the Dictionary.
There is no specific required timeframe associated with label changes. Generally, the rule of thumb is to update labels and product literature when it is economically feasible, i.e., when current stock is depleted.
Name changes result from a petition from a supplier or other stakeholder. Name changes can also arise when the INC identifies important errors in nomenclature that need to be revised. The retirement of an INCI name occurs when a name that has a long history of usage is replaced by an updated name. The name being replaced is called “retired” and is considered to be “grandfathered”. When an INCI name is retired, it is maintained in publication for a transition period to allow for transition to the newer name. For further information about Retired INCI Names and Name Changes, consult the Introduction to the INCI Dictionary.
No, only one trade name may be listed on an application. Only those trade names that go through the application process will be published in the Dictionary.
In general, INCI names do not imply standards or grades of purity. In some cases, various grades or types of a material can have the same INCI name.
Although INCI names are based on chemical composition, they can encompass products that have differing attributes, or physical characteristics, and for this reason interchangeability should not be assumed. As an example, the INCI name Polyethylene can be applied to ethylene polymers of varying molecular weights, and yet products named as polyethylene could have very different physical characteristics ranging from a soft wax to a semi-solid.
INCI names are based on composition, and in many cases are described by source. Therefore, a different feedstock would constitute a different INCI name. For example, the monoisopropanolamide derived from peanut oil would be named Peanutamide MIPA. An alkanolamide derived from a different source oil would be named accordingly, e.g., Oliveamide MEA. Substitutions in feedstock without a corresponding change to the INCI name could result in a misbranded product.
CAS numbers are provided by the Chemical Abstracts Service, https://www.cas.org/about/faqs.
Send an email request and attach the CAS printout for verification.
Functions can be added to an ingredient monograph by sending an email request to inci@personalcarecouncil.org. Documentation to support the requested function should accompany the email.
Reported product categories are derived from FDA’s database for the Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP) on an annual basis. If the ingredient is reported in a cosmetic product through the VCRP, it will automatically be updated in our database. For further about the VCRP, go to the tab for Cosmetics at https://www.fda.gov/.