Product Guides
How to read a product label
Five things worth checking before you buy anything topical.
CANNAEAST Editorial · Published 26 January 2026 · Updated 26 January 2026 · 5 min read
Short answer
Check the ingredient list order, the INCI names of the botanicals named on the front, the period-after-opening symbol, the fill size and where the product is made.
1. Start with the order
The first three or four ingredients tell you what the product mostly is. If a balm opens with shea butter and sunflower oil, that is the product; everything after is detail.
2. Match the front to the back
If the front of the pack names a botanical, find it in the INCI list. Where it sits gives you a rough sense of how much is present.
3. Find the period-after-opening symbol
The small open-jar symbol with a number and an M tells you how many months the product is intended to be used after opening.
4. Check size and origin
Fill size lets you compare products honestly. Country of manufacture and the name of the responsible person are required information in the EU and are a basic transparency signal.
5. Read the claims sceptically
Cosmetic packaging cannot legally make medicinal claims. Wording that implies one is a reason to look more carefully at everything else on the pack.
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