BREAKING DOWN THE SCIENCE OF SKIN.
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In-depth ingredient analyses, formulation science, and industry breakdowns. No marketing. No sponsored content. Just the chemistry.
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The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is one of the best-selling serums in the world. The INCI list is transparent. The formulation is competent. But the 10% concentration claim deserves scrutiny.
Tatcha was acquired by Unilever for a reported $500 million. The Ordinary is owned by Estée Lauder. CeraVe and La Roche-Posay are L'Oréal. Drunk Elephant was sold to Shiseido for $845 million.
Cosmetic brands are legally allowed to list every fragrance ingredient under a single word: 'Parfum'. Here is what that word is hiding — and why it matters for your skin.
Niacinamide is now in everything from £5 drugstore serums to £200 clinical treatments. But the concentration wars, the vitamin C myths, and the flush debates have buried the actual science. We went back to the literature.
All three ceramides in CeraVe Moisturising Cream appear after Petrolatum and Dimethicone on the ingredient list. Under INCI rules, this strongly suggests each ceramide is present at or below 1%. The occlusives are doing the heavy lifting.
Rosehip oil contains linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and trans-retinoic acid. The marketing claims it reverses scars, eliminates hyperpigmentation, and repairs sun damage. The chemistry is more nuanced — and more interesting — than the label copy suggests.
I grew up obsessed with skincare — not the products, but the why.
Why does a £10 serum with the same active ingredient as a £200 one perform differently? Who decides what gets put on a label — and what gets left off? Why does every brand claim their formula is "clinically proven" when the study they're citing involved 22 people for two weeks?
I built Behind The INCI for people who think about skincare the same way. People who understand that the INCI list is the one honest thing on any product — and who want to know how to read it.
BINCI is independent journalism. No brand partnerships. No sponsored content. No affiliate links. Just the science, the evidence, and the questions the industry does not want you asking.
Mara Sollis
Founder & Editor, Behind The INCI
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