Reference

Glossary

Every term the cards use, in one place: what it means, who is saying it, and what it does not tell you.

What is it? · Packaging

Tube
A squeeze tube. Air and fingers stay out of the formula, which is why tubes suit actives that oxidise. The last tenth is hard to get at.
Stick
A solid formula in a twist-up. Little or no water, so it needs less preservative, and it touches skin directly on every use.
Pump Bottle
Dispenses a dose without opening the bottle. An airless pump keeps oxygen off the formula; a standard pump draws air in as the level drops.
Dropper
A glass pipette in a bottle. Precise dosing. The formula meets air each time it opens, so a colour change over months in something like vitamin C is worth noticing.
Jar
An open pot. Fingers and air reach the whole formula, so the preservative system does the work. A spatula keeps it cleaner for longer.
Pot
A small open jar. Same as a jar: the whole surface meets air and fingers each time.
Compact
A pressed powder or cream in a hinged case, usually with a mirror. The formula is exposed only while it is open.
Pen
A click or twist pen with a brush or sponge tip. A small dose per click; the tip touches skin and goes back inside.
Wand
A tube with a wand applicator, doe-foot or brush. The wand returns to the formula after touching skin, so these have a shorter life once opened.
Spray Bottle
A mist. Suits water-thin formulas. If it is an aerosol rather than a pump, the can also holds a propellant.
Palette
Several pressed shades in one case. Each pan is open to air and fingers while the lid is up.
Pouch
A flexible refill or sachet. Light and cheap to ship; usually meant to be decanted into something else.
Crayon
A chubby pencil. Sharpening keeps the tip clean, since it touches skin directly.
Bottle
A bottle with a cap. The formula meets air each time it opens; how much depends on how full it is.

What's it do? · Finish and coverage

Natural
Looks like skin. Neither shiny nor flat once it settles.
Matte
No shine. Absorbs light rather than reflecting it, which can show texture and dryness.
Satin
A soft sheen between matte and dewy. Reflects a little light without looking wet.
Dewy
A visible glow, as if skin were slightly moist. Reflects light; can look shiny on oilier skin.
Radiant
Luminous. Reflects light evenly, without visible glitter particles.
Shimmer
Light-reflecting particles you can see, usually mica coated with titanium dioxide or iron oxides.
Glossy
A wet-look shine, mostly on lips.
Sheer Tint
A wash of colour you can see skin through.
Sheer
Skin shows through. Evens tone a little; does not hide spots or redness.
Light
Softens unevenness; freckles and marks still show.
Medium
Hides most redness and small marks in one layer; skin still reads as skin.
Full
Hides most discolouration. Heavier on the skin and more visible on texture.
Buildable
Sheer in one layer; more coverage with each layer on top.

Is it for me? · Skin types

Combination
Oilier through the T-zone, normal to dry on the cheeks. The most common pattern.
Dry
Makes less oil than it needs. Feels tight after cleansing; flakes and fine lines show sooner.
Oily
Makes more oil than it needs. Shine by midday; pores look larger; makeup slides.
Sensitive
Reacts easily: stinging, flushing, redness. A description of how skin behaves, not a medical term.
Mature
The industry's word for older skin: thinner, drier and less elastic, with less oil and slower turnover. A marketing category, not a skin type.
Acne-Prone
Breaks out readily. Products marked for it usually avoid heavy occlusives and add exfoliating or antibacterial actives.
Dehydrated
Short of water, not oil. Any skin type can be dehydrated, including oily skin; it feels tight and looks dull.

Can I trust this? · Badges and claims

Best Seller · Top Seller
A retailer's sales badge. It says how many people bought it, not what is in it.
High Demand
A retailer's stock signal: selling fast or running low. Nothing about the formula.
New
New to this retailer's shelf. Nothing about the formula.
Exclusive
Sold at this retailer only. It says where you can buy it, nothing about what is in it.
Limited Edition
A short run. It says how long it is sold, nothing about the formula.
Clinically Proven
A brand's claim. It means a study happened; it does not say who ran it, on how many people, or what was measured. A cited study sits under Receipts; an uncited one is a sentence.
Dermatologist Tested
A dermatologist watched a patch test. It says the product was tested, not what the result was or on how many people.
Award Winner · Award Winning · Awards · Beauty Award · Professional Accolades
An industry or editorial award. Judged on experience and presentation as much as chemistry. Not a safety or efficacy test.
Best of Beauty · Cosmopolitan Beauty Award · Editor's Choice · Editors Choice
A magazine's editorial pick. Chosen by editors, sometimes among advertisers. Not a test of the formula.
Allure Best of Beauty
Allure magazine's annual editors' award. Editors test and choose; it is an editorial pick, not a lab result.
Top Rated · 5 Out Of 5 · Fan Favorite
Shopper reviews on the retailer's site. Opinion, not testing.
Cult Favorite
A phrase for a product with a loyal following. Popularity, not testing.
Credo Clean Standard
Credo's own ingredient standard: a list of ingredients the retailer will not stock. Set by the retailer, not by an independent body. The detail is under Is it clean?
EWG Verified
EWG's mark. A brand applies, meets EWG's ingredient list, and pays to carry it. A standard, not an independent audit.
Vegan
No animal-derived ingredients, by the brand's own statement unless a certifier's mark is shown.
Carmine (Cochineal)
A red pigment (CI 75470) made from cochineal insects: a documented allergen, and never vegan. On a colour product it often sits in the "may contain" list, which means some shades, not necessarily yours.
Cruelty-Free
No animal testing, by the brand's own statement unless Leaping Bunny or PETA is named.
Sustainable Packaging
The brand's own description of its packaging. There is no single standard behind the phrase.
Gluten-Free
No wheat, barley or rye derivatives. Useful for coeliac readers who use lip products; a statement by the brand.
Alcohol-Free
No ethanol or denatured alcohol. Fatty alcohols such as cetyl or cetearyl are different molecules and may still be present.
Soy-Free
No soy-derived ingredients, by the brand's own statement.
Non-GMO
No genetically modified source crops, by the brand's own statement. Not a safety claim.

On an ingredient card

INCI
International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients: the standard name an ingredient is listed under on a label. Two products share an ingredient only when the INCI name is identical.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review: a US expert panel, funded by the cosmetics industry's trade association, that publishes safety assessments of cosmetic ingredients. Its reports are the source of the safety findings and usage bars on these cards, and every finding names the report it came from.
SCCS
Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety: the European Commission's advisory committee on the safety of cosmetic ingredients. Its opinions sit behind many EU limits.
Leave-on
Products that stay on the skin, such as moisturisers, serums and makeup. On the usage bar: the range of concentrations reported in CIR's most recent survey for these products.
Rinse-off
Products washed off soon after use, such as cleansers, shampoos and bath products. On the usage bar: the range reported in CIR's most recent survey for these products.
NR
Not reported. CIR's table gives no figure for that row. It does not mean zero, and an older survey's numbers are not shown in its place.
NS
Not surveyed. CIR's newest survey did not include the ingredient, so the card shows the newest survey that did, with its year.
Not reported to be in use
CIR lists the ingredient as having no uses reported in its survey. It can still appear on a label; no use was reported to the survey.
Not a Sensitizer · Sensitizer in Testing · Mixed Sensitization Results
How the studies in CIR's report came out. Not a Sensitizer: every study found no allergic reaction. Sensitizer in Testing: every study found one. Mixed: some did and some did not. The tip says how many studies, and which CIR report.
Skin Irritant · Eye Irritant
Read the same way as sensitization: the label follows the studies, and the tip counts them. Irritation is a direct reaction where the product touches; sensitization is an allergy that develops with repeat contact.
Phototoxic · Comedogenic
Phototoxic: a reaction that needs light, tested by applying the ingredient and then UV. Comedogenic: tends to clog pores in comedogenicity tests. Both follow the studies in CIR's report.
Case reports
A doctor's write-up of one person's reaction. They are counted ("plus 2 case reports") but do not set the label, because one case cannot say how often something happens.
CIR Panel on the ingredient group
CIR's panel spoke about a family of related ingredients, and this one was not tested on its own. Used only when there are no studies of the ingredient itself.
Dermal Absorption
How much of an applied dose crossed the skin in a measured test, as a percentage of what was applied.