How To Read A Cosmetic Ingredient List
Submitted by Beauty Brains Blog
Dreniva and dimethiconol: Hi Beautybrains! I just want to know, because it is in my shampoo the ingredient called Dimethiconol (and) TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, I just want to know what ingredient is this because I found on the internet that TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate is drying to the hair but this shampoo doesn’t dry my hair.
And I just want to know how to read an ingredient list that list the word “and” with parentheses in it like the one above and others like cyclomethicone (and) dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane (and) cyclotetrasiloxane, etc.? Sorry for my poor English and more power to your website and also thank you beautybrains because you help me a lot to become more beauty and brains!
The Right Brain Responds: 
Dreniva, thanks so much for your question. There’s no need to apologize for your English because we could understand you perfectly fine. One of the most rewarding experiences in writing for the Beauty Brains blog is seeing all the questions that come to us from all the countries outside our native US. It really makes us feel good to know we’re helping so many women become “more beauty and brains!” But we’d better get on with answering your question before we get all misty eyed. *Sniff*
Confusing categorization
It’s not surprising that you’re confused by the ingredient list on the back of your shampoo. First of all the long chemical names can be hard to decipher and second not every company follows the rules properly. Your question about the use of the word “and” is a good example.
According to the official rules as described in the International Dictionary of Cosmetic Nomenclature, ingredients should generally be listed in order of their concentration in the formula. (There are some variations in the rules for different companies, but for the most part the ingredients that are present in the highest amounts appear earlier in the list.)
No ifs, ands, or buts
So where does the “and” come from? That’s how the companies that make and sell the ingredients list the chemicals in their product. For example, you asked about Dimethiconol (and) TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate. Silcone derivatives like dimethiconol are often sold in blends with other ingredients that help them dissolve. That’s probably what the TEA- Dodecylbenzenesulfonate is there for. And while this detergent can be drying to hair and skin at high levels, it’s probably present at such low concentrations that you’ll never notice it. Technically the company making the shampoo you’re using should have determined how much of each of these two ingredients is present in their product and then listed the ingredients in the correct order. Listing the “and” isn’t technically correct at all!
