Tired of squinting every time you pick up a new beauty product to read the label? The truth of the matter is that skincare labels are confusing, and ingredients can be super complex to understand. That’s why we tapped Mary Berry (she/her), founder + CEO of Cosmos Labs to dish on everything we need to know about dissecting labels and ingredients. Afterall, who better to ask than the person who says, “There is most likely something made from one of the manufacturing plants I have owned in your bathroom cabinet!”

How did you get started in the beauty space?
I started in the beauty industry in 2006 making sugar scrubs in my kitchen from ingredients I sourced at Whole Foods. Along the way, I switched from making my own brand, b.pure to manufacturing for other brands. In 2016, my first manufacturing company, Texas Beauty Labs got its first big break as the first manufacturer for Native Deodorants. Then I sold Texas Beauty Labs in 2019 and started Cosmos Labs in 2022.

What are the most important things to look for on a skincare label?
The first thing I do when I pick up a product is flip it over to the ingredient panel on the back. I like to see what ingredients are listed and in what order. I typically read the first three to four ingredients to understand what the “bones” of the formula are and then skip to the last two to three ingredients to see what they might be trying to “bury in the deck” (deck = ingredient declaration). The “bones” of the formula are what typically form the structure of the formula—what makes it a lotion, cream, face wash, etc. Ingredients are listed in order of amount, until you reach 1%. After 1%, the brand can list those ingredients in any order they wish. Mostly, brands will push those ingredients they find less pleasing to the bottom of the ingredient deck to lessen the perceived amount of those ingredients to consumers like fragrance or preservatives.

FYI: I’m actually very liberal with what I consider “bad” ingredients. As a consumer, I love fragrances! As a lab owner, I love preservatives because they keep the products safe! Lastly, I skim through the ingredient listing for what’s in the formula that I think is making the product efficacious, and see if that falls beneath where I think the 1% line lies. Another pro tip: some super effective ingredients are effective even under 1%.

How can one understand ingredients that look confusing?
If I get to an ingredient that I don’t know in an ingredient listing, I google it! This will usually tell me if it’s an active ingredient, a part of the product structure, part of the fragrance, or a preservative. There is a ton of info online, but always make sure you’re looking at a reputable source.

Are there any irritating skincare ingredients to look out for?
Different things can be irritating to different people. Ex: I am not irritated by literally any ingredient except niacinamide, which weirdly enough is supposed to be a calming material. It super flushes my face and makes it feel on fire! But I’m the only person I know that has that reaction. Common irritating ingredients can be fragrance, alcohols, and retinoids. But even natural ingredients can be irritating. Essential oils are natural but are very potent and can have irritating effects in some people. Another culprit can be natural preservatives. Natural preservatives sound great, right? Sometimes they are, but sometimes they have to be used in such high quantities to be effective that it can irritate skin.

Can you share some ingredients that are beneficial for each skin type?
This can also be very specific to different people as we all have different ingredients that work best for our specific skin and ingredients we’re sensitive to:

  • FOR DRY SKIN: Look for things that will hydrate your skin like aloe vera leaf juice, hyaluronic acid, and plant oils.
  • FOR OILY SKIN: Look for AHA’s, salicylic acid, and retinol.
  • FOR COMBINATION SKIN: My favorite ingredient suggestions are again, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, green tea extract.
  • FOR ACNE-PRONE/SENSITIVE SKIN: I recommend chamomile or cucumber extracts, panthenol, and allantoin.

Just remember that if you need more specific advice, it’s always a good idea to chat with a dermatologist.