What the INCI?

INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients and it really just means your ingredient list in the form that is accepted internationally – kind of like an international language of ingredients. Some of the INCI names for ingredients can be quite daunting. Many ingredients that sound like scary complex chemicals are actually found in nature, so we’ve put together this guide to take the “what the INCI” out of your ingredients list.

SORBITOL

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol commonly used in sugar free foods. Like sugar, sugar alcohols taste sweet, but they have a different chemical structure, and your body does not absorb them as efficiently. That means it won’t cause a spike in blood sugar or insulin. Safe and natural, sorbitol is proven to help prevent tooth decay by starving the plaque-producing bacteria in your mouth, without killing off the friendly microbes.

NATURAL PEAR FLAVOUR/FRAGRANCE

The INCI for our natural pear flavour is currently FRAGRANCE, but don’t worry it is not actually a fragrance, it is a nature identical plant ketone which is responsible for the flavour in pears. This fruity flavour is salicylate free, tastes great and leaves your mouth feeling super fresh.

BAMBOO CHARCOAL

We use activated bamboo charcoal in our whitening formula because it is so beneficial for oral health and, unlike coconut and oak charcoal which are high salicylates, it’s friendly for allergy sufferers. Bamboo charcoal acts like a magnet to absorb stains, tartar and odour-causing bacteria. It brightens your smile and freshens breath.

GLYCERIN

Glycerin is a humectant. This means it retains and preserves moisture. We use glycerin in our toothpaste to prevent your product drying out and dryness in your mouth while brushing your teeth. By holding onto water, glycerin can help protect against tooth decay as it’s able to reduce bacterial activity.

HYDROXYACETOPHENONE

Hydroxyacetophenone is a food grade preservative which is paraben free, salicylate free and proven safe in oral care. This nature-identical preservative is CLEANGREDIENTS approved— meeting the EPA’s Safer Choice Standard, designed to safeguard human and environmental health. It’s also FEMA GRAS listed—a big deal in ingredient safety being the most widely recognized industry GRAS (generally recognized as safe) assessment program. Preservatives are essential in formulas to prevent the growth of microorganisms in your toothpaste.

CALCIUM CARBONATE

Calcium carbonate is a safe and natural mineral which has a mild abrasive action – it’s what makes your teeth feel really clean after brushing. The abrasive action helps to remove plaque, debris and surface stains from your teeth.

SILICA

Silica is a natural compound silicon dioxide – it’s the second most abundant mineral on earth (sand is a common type of silica). Silica comes in different particle sizes. Our particle size is mildly abrasive to assist in the removal of plague and food particles, and reduce tartar build-up. The abrasion can also help to remove stains and whiten teeth.

What is an MSDS?

It’s hard not to be confused by the plethora of unfiltered information that we can find online. One of the items that has confused customers in the past is an MSDS. MSDS is an acronym for Material Safety Data Sheet. It is used in the manufacturing and handling of raw ingredients to ensure that those handling the chemicals to produce goods are doing so in a safe manner. In raw form, chemicals have a very high potency and can potentially be dangerous. Exposure to raw chemicals is very different to using a chemical in a consumer product. A chemical being flagged as potentially dangerous to a worker who is exposed to mass amounts of the raw chemical, does not mean that the chemical is dangerous in a personal care product. The Australian Government, as well as numerous organisations across the globe, regulate the use of chemicals in personal care products to ensure consumers are safe. A great resource to check is EPA (www.epa.nsw.gov.au) or FEMGRAS (www.femaflavor.org/gras). These are the globally recognised industry bodies which report on the safety of ingredients in personal care products.