How To Read A Skincare Product Label

There are hundreds of skincare products stocked at your nearby drugstore or department store, and thousands more available from online retailers. Whether you're looking for a skin cleanser or a skincare treatment product like a wrinkle cream, it can be difficult to select which skincare product to buy. Thankfully, all skincare products are required to post a descriptive label and ingredients list that can help you determine whether it's the right product for your skin.

Step 1

Identify the ingredients list on the skincare product label. It's typically labeled as "Ingredients." It is often located on the back of the product itself or on its outer packaging.

Step 2

Look at the order in which chemicals or substances are listed in the ingredients. Ingredients are ordered according to the ratio in which they're found in the product, according to skincare product tester Paula Begoun, author of "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me." For example, a product that lists "Water, glycerin, fragrance and vitamin E" means there's more water in it than glycerin, and more glycerin than fragrance.

Step 3

Verify that an effective active ingredient is listed as one of the first few ingredients. If it's a skincare cleanser, a soap or detergent ingredient should appear. If it's an anti-aging product, the American Academy of Dermatology says only a handful of chemicals can effectively help, which include azelaic acid, kojic acid, hydroquinone, antioxidants like vitamin C or vitamin E, retinoids--on the label, they may be called retinoic acid, retinol or retinyl--or alpha or beta hydroxyl acids.

Step 4

Research ingredients that have unfamiliar names, recommends the Skin Sciences Institute at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. If you don't recognize a certain chemical or substance, enter its name into the Environmental Working Group's online skincare ingredients database at CosmeticsDatabase.com to discover its purpose and determine whether it's beneficial for your skin.

Step 5

Ignore the common claims made on the skincare product's packaging, outside of its ingredients list, including the phrases, "preservative free," "all-natural" and "clinically proven." The American Academy of Dermatology says such claims are unregulated and potentially misleading.