What's In A Name?

The Reckitt Ingredient Naming System

Many products that you currently purchase already contain an ingredient statement on the package, such as cosmetics (like hair care products) and Over-The-Counter drugs (like hand sanitizers and acne medication). These products use a "naming system" for their ingredients called the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients…or simply INCI. This is a globally recognized naming system. These are the ingredient names that you see and are familiar with on the current package labels for these types of products.

Many of our ingredients that we use in our cleaners, disinfectants, and air care products are also used in cosmetic and OTC drug products. So, we have decided to also use the INCI name for these ingredients, because it:

1. reduces any confusion between the name of the same ingredient used in your favorite shampoo that is also used in your favorite hard surface cleaner
2. avoids the development of another naming system for the same ingredient

For the other ingredients which do not currently have an INCI name, we decided to use the following system:

1. use its HCPA Dictionary* name
2. use the INCI naming system for ingredients which are very close in structure and composition to an existing INCI ingredient
3. use a functional description of the ingredient
4. use the ingredient's International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name

*Reckitt was and remains an active participant in a cross-industry initiative to bring great disclosure and transparency to its hygiene and home products. As part of this initiative, the "HCPA Dictionary" was established to provide a standard and harmonized nomenclature to ingredients used in cleaning, polish, air freshening, and other household products. For more information on the HCPA Dictionary, click here.

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