I think skincare and beauty can be a really daunting shopping experience, especially if you don’t know a lot about it but I’m here to hopefully make that experience a little easier. I once never knew what the symbols or words meant on the back of these products, so if you don’t either, I’m here to tell you!
- Ingredients (highest > lowest in concentration) So in this case, the formulation has the most amount of water and the least of Mandarin orange oil. Fun fact, the ingredients are listed as their INCI name, which is essentially a scientific name for an ingredient that is internationally recognised.
- How to use the product – now this often seems pretty obvious, but with a product like this, you might have some questions such as whether to apply it to wet or dry skin. Even if you don’t feel like you need to read the instructions of a product, I’d advise giving them a quick scan anyway, because you never know what you might miss otherwise.
- How long the product is good for after opening. This product should be replaced (if not all of it has been used) after 18 months. If you’re anything like me, you’ll still have products lying about long after their that! Most high street skincare products will only have the little icon you see in the picture, rather than an actual best before, so sometimes it an be tricky to know when to dispose of it. I would advise relying on your nose and your instinct! Smell the product, if it smells different to what it used to then bin it. If the product is dusty and looks like it’s not been touched for a while, bin it! (rinse out the pot and recycle if that’s possible, of course!)
- See Number 7 and 8
- Amount of product
- Manufacturer – this should show the manufacturer and also their address. This is required by law. Watch out if there is no information about the manufacturer on the product label, that’s usually not a great sign!
- A batch number is used to track and identify a set of identical products. The history of its production (including all the ingredients used) can be traced with this. When we say we provide full traceability, we mean it! We’re committed in making sure our rigorous quality assurance is upheld throughout every stage, from manufacturing to the product being in your hands. You can be assured that if you have any issues with your product, we can investigate it fully with our traceable batches.
- The Best Before date simply means when it should be used before. Using a product after it’s best before can sometimes result in irritation, blemishes, or infections.
