trade name vs INCI name
Knowing the difference between a Trade Name & an INCI Name is valuable when communicating with chemists, companies, or suppliers. Just by knowing the difference between trade names and INCI names will allow for a quicker process when you are communicating with others in the industry.
This post is more helpful for those in the industry rather than consumers, but it will be a nice read for those who are interested in learning more.
What is a Trade Name?
"a name by which something is known in a particular trade or profession"
- The Google Definition (praise Google)
In the cosmetic industry, a trade name is associated with a particular raw material produced or sold by a raw material company. This raw material can consist of just one ingredient or it can be a blend of ingredients. Some raw material companies have distributors or suppliers that they work with to distribute their products.
Let’s think of it in terms of a simplified bakery.
Let’s say that the bakery, Bake, uses eggs in their baked goods. Bake get their eggs from the company Eggy, and the eggs that Eggy sells is called Chicken Egg.
Simplified Flowchart of Bakery Example
In this case, Bake is the brand. Their baked goods are products and are made with various ingredients, like eggs. The bakery works with specific suppliers, and they purchase eggs from their egg supplier, Eggy.
Why are Trade Names important?
Different raw material companies can sell the same ingredient (it doesn't necessarily mean they source it from the same place or process it the same) & can offer it at different prices with different benefits, specifications and purity levels. This just means that you have different options from different companies.
Think of it like mandarin oranges from the grocery store.
You're looking specifically for mandarin oranges. The grocery store offers you 3 different brands -- Cuties, Halos, or the store brand one. It is up to you as the consumer which brand you want to use & at what price you can afford it.
Although this isn’t a perfect example, hopefully it simplifies the concept.
What is INCI?
INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients & it is internationally used and recognized to identify cosmetic ingredients. These are the names that are most predominantly seen on the Ingredients Lists of cosmetic products.
"They are developed by the International Nomenclature Committee (INC) and published by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) in the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, available electronically as wINCI."
- Personal Care Products Council
Think of it as the Cosmetic Industry version of IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) that you probably learned in General Chemistry & Organic Chemistry.
IUPAC Refresher : Remember learning the rules for the number of saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbons? That's the naming convention that I'm referring to. IUPAC is a universally-recognized nomenclature system used to name, classify, and distinguish different chemical compounds.
Why is INCI important?
INCI provides a system that can be used in labeling cosmetic products that is uniform internationally. This provides scientists, medical professionals, and consumers the ability to reference ingredients by using the "same language". It also allows for the ability to track the safety & regulatory status of ingredients to ensure product safety & compliance.
Conclusion
Trade names are used by cosmetic raw material companies to name the raw material ingredients they are selling or distributing. Multiple raw material companies can sell "the same" ingredient; therefore, by giving it a trade name, chemists can easily differentiate all of the options for that ingredient from different companies.
INCI names are the names given to ingredients by the INC and published by the PCPC. These are typically the names that you see on the Ingredients Lists of your cosmetic products.
Within the industry, you have to assess the different trade names available for particular ingredients & decide which one you will move forward with. It can all come down to availability & sustainability of the material, cost, marketing claims, your relationship with the raw material company/supplier, etc. It is also important to know how to use the INCI names to create ingredients list.
As a consumer, it may be more important to identify certain INCI names on an ingredient list that you are allergic to, are sensitive to, or are interested in trying out. As a cosmetic chemist, it is important to understand both Trade Names & INCI Names.