Everyday formula ingredients
Aqua
Water; the base of many liquid formulas.
Other label names (4)
Water · Aqua (Water) · Water (Aqua) · Eau
Makeup Theory glossary · Not an FDA inventory entry
← All free tools
Tool 04 / The practice studio
Ingredient decoder.
Decode a label or browse ingredients, color-use restrictions, and ingredient families from FDA guidance.
Know what the label tells you
Look beyond the ingredient name.
Decode your label or explore 193 ingredient and family entries, including 159 entries tied to FDA guidance and all 65 colors in its linked cosmetic color table.
Guidance, not a safety score.
FDA does not publish a complete approved cosmetic-ingredient list. Most ingredients do not need premarket approval; color additives have use-specific requirements. This library covers the named lists in its linked ingredient guides, alongside our everyday formula glossary.
About makeup regulation at FDAPaste the ingredient list
Use commas, semicolons, or line breaks. Color names and familiar abbreviations work too.
Your list stays in this browser session. It is not uploaded or saved. Up to 10,000 characters.
Label notes
10 of 10 names identified
Unknown names are not rated as harmful or safe. Fragrance blends and impurities cannot be fully decoded from a label.
Solvent
Everyday formula ingredients
Glycerin
Helps bind water in the formula and at the skin surface.
Makeup Theory glossary · Not an FDA inventory entry
Everyday formula ingredients
Dimethicone
Adds slip and a smooth feel.
Makeup Theory glossary · Not an FDA inventory entry
Talc & contamination
Talc
Helps powder flow, absorb moisture, and add opacity or slip.
Talc and asbestos are different minerals. A talc label cannot establish whether a product has been tested for asbestos contamination.
Colors · certification exempt
Mica
Colorant listed in FDA’s cosmetic color-use reference. Permitted areas are shown below; specifications and product restrictions still apply.
- Eye area
- Yes
- General use incl. lips
- Yes
- External use
- Yes
- Batch certification
- Exempt
“External use” does not include lips or mucous membranes. All entries must meet their listing specifications. Lake composition and permitted uses require checking the exact regulation.
Read 21 CFR 73.2496Colors · certification exempt
Iron oxides
Your label: CI 77491
Colorant listed in FDA’s cosmetic color-use reference. Permitted areas are shown below; specifications and product restrictions still apply.
- Eye area
- Yes
- General use incl. lips
- Yes
- External use
- Yes
- Batch certification
- Exempt
“External use” does not include lips or mucous membranes. All entries must meet their listing specifications. Lake composition and permitted uses require checking the exact regulation.
Read 21 CFR 73.2250Other label names (4)
Iron Oxide · CI 77491 · CI 77492 · CI 77499
Colors · certification exempt
Iron oxides
Your label: CI 77492
Colorant listed in FDA’s cosmetic color-use reference. Permitted areas are shown below; specifications and product restrictions still apply.
- Eye area
- Yes
- General use incl. lips
- Yes
- External use
- Yes
- Batch certification
- Exempt
“External use” does not include lips or mucous membranes. All entries must meet their listing specifications. Lake composition and permitted uses require checking the exact regulation.
Read 21 CFR 73.2250Other label names (4)
Iron Oxide · CI 77491 · CI 77492 · CI 77499
Colors · certification exempt
Titanium dioxide
Colorant listed in FDA’s cosmetic color-use reference. Permitted areas are shown below; specifications and product restrictions still apply.
- Eye area
- Yes
- General use incl. lips
- Yes
- External use
- Yes
- Batch certification
- Exempt
“External use” does not include lips or mucous membranes. All entries must meet their listing specifications. Lake composition and permitted uses require checking the exact regulation.
Read 21 CFR 73.2575Other label names (1)
CI 77891
Everyday formula ingredients
Phenoxyethanol
Helps protect a product from microbial growth.
Makeup Theory glossary · Not an FDA inventory entry
Fragrances & fragrance allergens
Fragrance
Your label: Parfum
A labeling term for a scent mixture; individual components may not be identified.
A label cannot reveal every fragrance allergen or prove that a blend contains no phthalates.
Other label names (2)
Parfum · Perfume
An ingredient list cannot establish concentration, purity, full legal compliance, allergy status, or finished-product safety. These are US FDA references; other countries can have different rules. No product approval or FDA endorsement is implied.
FDA topic pages include nanotechnology, which describes material characteristics rather than a list of separate ingredient names. Source pages reviewed 2026-10-01; this is a curated snapshot, not a live regulatory feed.
Keep exploring
One choice changes the whole look.
Try a different guide, or go deeper with the illustrated book.
How to read a cosmetic ingredient label
- Paste the ingredient list into the decoder, or browse the library by category. Your list stays in your browser.
- Check the matched name and aliases, its role, and any listed use restrictions. A missing match means the entry is not in this reference library; it does not mean an ingredient is unsafe.
- Follow the source link for the FDA context. Color certification or a permitted-use listing does not establish that a complete product is FDA-approved or suitable for every person.
This is a curated reference, not a complete inventory of every cosmetic ingredient or a product safety assessment.
Educational reference by DH Ramos, author of Makeup Theory. Updated October 1, 2026. For a correction or accessibility issue, contact topchoicemkp@gmail.com.