Why do manufacturers list ingredients that I can't pronounce?

The question has been asked many times "Why do these products have ingredients in the list that I can't pronounce?"  The simplified answer is that the manufacturer is likely selling the product internationally.

When it comes to labeling requirements there are regulations put in place meant to disclose to the consumers what the ingredients are for safety.   For example, some people have nut allergies and should avoid using products like Shea Nut, Macadamia Nuts, and other types of nuts used to create butters, creams, and other products. The consumer should know prior to the purchase what the ingredients are in an attempt to avoid consumption or use of things known to trigger allergies for specific people.  

Now that I created an example to give a clear picture of the disclosure purpose I want to return back to the regulations portion. 

If a manufacturer produces a product that is sold internationally the labeling regulations that must be followed are INCI standards. INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetics Ingredients that are unique identifiers for cosmetic ingredients that are assigned in accordance with rules established by (PCPC) Personal Care Products Council.  INCI names are mandated on the ingredient statement of every personal care product.  The laws and structure of INCI labeling requirements are based on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C),  the Fair Packaging Labeling  Act (FP&L), and the regulations published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the authority of the two laws.

If my company intended on selling the body butter products we make internationally I would have to modify my labels to comply with INCI instead of only complying to the FDA in the USA.  I would have to list each ingredient on my label like this example: "Mango Seed (Mangifera Indica) Butter"  Since I only sell in the USA I can just list the ingredients like Mango Seed Butter and that would be sufficient.

The INCI decoder can help you understand in layman's terms what each ingredient is and the benefits found on www.incidecoder

For more information on cosmetics labeling guides and additional information you may refer to the resources listed below:

https://incipedia.personalcarecouncil.org 

www.fda.gov