Makeup ingredient checker
Decode your foundation, mascara or lipstick label.
See which pigments, silicones, waxes and preservatives your makeup uses, what the CI numbers mean, and what official sources say about each ingredient.
How to check a label
- Paste the list, including the "May contain" or [+/-] part at the end if there is one.
- The checker lists the main formula first, then the colourants a shade range may contain, separately.
- Each CI number is matched to its colourant, with its other names.
- Read the summary for official flags and for names marked "we don't know".
Pigments and "may contain"
Colourants are printed by their Colour Index number on EU labels: CI 77891 is titanium dioxide used as a white pigment, CI 77491, 77492 and 77499 are iron oxides in red, yellow and black. Because one formula is sold in many shades, the label often lists every colourant used across the range after "May contain" or [+/-]. The checker keeps those separate, so your shade's list is not mistaken for all of them.
In the EU only colourants on an approved list (Annex IV of the Cosmetics Regulation) may be used, some only in certain products. That is why many CI numbers carry a "restricted in certain uses" flag: it describes the conditions of the approval, not a problem with your lipstick.
Texture: silicones, oils and waxes
Foundations often lead with silicones such as Cyclopentasiloxane and Dimethicone, which spread easily and set to a smooth finish. Lipsticks and mascaras are built on oils and waxes such as beeswax (Cera Alba) and carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera Cera).
Names you will often see
Roles are each ingredient's main function, as the EU's CosIng database lists it and the app ranks it for makeup.
Cyclopentasiloxane
Softens and smooths. A silicone, one of a family of smooth, slippery ingredients made in a lab. It is a light liquid that evaporates from the skin.
Learn moreDimethicone
Softens and smooths. A silicone, one of a family of smooth, slippery ingredients made in a lab.
Read the article 8 sourcesIsododecane
Softens and smooths. A lightweight, lab-made liquid hydrocarbon, a compound of only carbon and hydrogen, that evaporates quickly.
Learn moreSilica
Gives the texture. Silica, the mineral found in sand and quartz, used as a fine powder.
Learn moreCera Alba
Softens and smooths. The wax bees produce to build their honeycomb.
Learn moreCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Softens and smooths. A hard wax taken from the leaves of the carnauba palm, which grows in Brazil.
Learn moreCI 77891
Adds color. A white mineral pigment, titanium dioxide, listed by its color index number. One of the added colorants.
Learn moreCI 77491
Adds color. A red mineral pigment made of iron oxide.
Learn moreCI 77492
Adds color. A yellow mineral pigment made of hydrated iron oxide.
Learn morePhenoxyethanol
Keeps the formula fresh. An aromatic alcohol made in a lab.
Read the article 5 sourcesQuestions
What do CI numbers on makeup mean?
They are Colour Index numbers, an international way to name a colourant. CI 77891 is titanium dioxide, CI 77491 a red iron oxide. The checker matches each one and shows its other names.
Why does my foundation list so many colours?
A "May contain" or [+/-] list names every colourant used across the shade range, so one label fits every shade. Your shade contains only some of them.
Does a flag on a pigment mean it is unsafe?
No. EU rules approve colourants with conditions, such as not near the eyes or only in rinse-off products, and the checker shows those conditions as a flag with its source. The label does not say how much is used.
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For iPhone
Skip the copying. Scan the label.
The app reads the ingredient list straight from the pack with your camera, explains every name the same way, and puts your own watchlist first. Your scans stay on your phone.
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