Jklmnehjyjkejdd5kl;smkfjgkjkekd – that’s basically what I used to see when I look at the ingredients of your typical beauty product label. What is it? Is it okay that I’m putting Jklmnehjyjkejdd5kl;smkfjgkjkekd on my skin? I guess so?!

These questions lead to research which I am going to share with you here.

1.       Just like store-bought cake (another thing I buy, maybe?!), the ingredients are listed from highest to lowest concentration. Which means if that super great ingredient that you’ve heard all about is at the bottom of the list? Well, it’s probably not going to do much good. If ingredients such as alcohol are listed as one of the top three ingredients, then it’s also not going to do much good (unless it’s store-bought cake!).

2.       Some bunny loves your skin. Always aim to use commercial products featuring the bunny symbol. This signifies the product is cruelty-free which also means the ingredients are typically not harsh chemicals sometimes found in other products. The bunny is usually found on U.S. products (just make sure the bunny is real, as in is the Cruelty Free International or Peta’s Beauty Without Bunnies organizations as there are some fake logos out there. *All of Sealuxe’s products are cruelty-free and are natural. *Here’s a list of cruelty-free makeup, skincare, and hair products at Shopper’s Drug Mart.

3.       Does your product label have an open jar symbol with a number in it? This is called a Period After Opening. This number tells you how long you can use the product after it has been opened. You might see the number 6M, 12M, 25M – the ‘M’ means months.

4.       Good big words. Tocopherol (vitamin C), tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (also vitamin C), caprylic glycerides (coconut), and ferulic acid (natural antioxidant) to name a few.

5.       Bad big words. Sulfates (detergents), hydroquinone (a chemical that can create white spots on your skin), artificial fragrances/dyes (no thanks), and parabens (possible hormone disruptor) to name a few.

 Sealuxe hopes this primer on how to read ingredients on skincare labels helps you decide what’s best for your skin!