Reference
Ingredient & Quality Glossary
The terms that appear on our specifications, certificates and spec sheets — explained in plain language.
A shared vocabulary for formulators and buyers
Cosmetic ingredient sourcing comes with its own dense vocabulary, where a single abbreviation can carry real regulatory and quality weight. This glossary defines the terms you will meet across our documentation, so your R&D, regulatory and procurement teams read every certificate the same way. The definitions are general and educational — they describe industry concepts, not specific claims about any one batch.
- CoA — Certificate of Analysis
- A batch-specific document reporting the measured quality parameters of a delivered lot — identity, purity, key analytical values and conformity to specification. It is the primary evidence a formulator files to prove what was actually received.
- INCI
- The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients — the standardised naming system used on product labels. Every raw material maps to one or more INCI names, which is how a botanical becomes a declarable ingredient on the finished pack.
- SDS — Safety Data Sheet
- A standardised document describing the hazards, safe handling, storage and transport requirements of a material. It supports workplace safety and regulatory compliance and travels with the shipment.
- Essential oil
- The volatile, aromatic fraction obtained from a plant, most often by steam distillation or expression. Highly concentrated and used for scent, function and aromatherapy, always subject to allergen and IFRA dosing limits.
- Hydrosol (hydrolat)
- The aqueous co-product of steam distillation, carrying water-soluble volatile constituents and a trace of essential oil. Often used as a botanical water phase; it is not self-preserving and requires a full preservative system.
- Carrier oil (fixed oil)
- A non-volatile plant oil, usually cold-pressed from seeds or kernels, used to dilute actives and as an emollient base. Characterised by its fatty-acid profile and prone to oxidation if poorly stored.
- Absolute
- A highly concentrated aromatic obtained by solvent extraction — a waxy concrete washed with alcohol — prized for an intense, true-to-flower scent. Residual-solvent control and documentation are key quality points.
- Resinoid
- An aromatic material extracted from plant resins and balsams using a solvent, valued as a fixative and base note in fine fragrance. Like absolutes, it carries residual-solvent considerations.
- Chemotype
- A chemically distinct variant within a single plant species, producing different ratios of active molecules depending on genetics and growing conditions. The chemotype changes scent, function and safety, so it belongs on the specification.
- GC-MS
- Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry: an analysis that separates an oil into its individual volatile components and identifies each, producing a molecular fingerprint used for identity, authenticity and batch consistency.
- Challenge test (ISO 11930)
- A microbiological test in which a finished product is deliberately inoculated with defined organisms and monitored over 28 days to confirm the preservative system controls them. The recognised proof that a formula is adequately preserved.
- Water activity (a_w)
- A measure of the free, available water in a product rather than its total water content. Lowering water activity makes a formula less hospitable to microbes and is a core lever in natural preservation.
- MOQ — Minimum Order Quantity
- The smallest quantity a supplier will produce or ship for a given material. Flexible MOQs let boutique brands trial pilot batches while larger orders support scale-up.
- Traceability
- The ability to follow a material back through the supply chain to its origin — grower, harvest window and processing conditions — supported by batch records. The foundation of consistent quality and credible natural claims.
- IFRA standards
- Guidelines from the International Fragrance Association that set safe-use levels for fragrance materials in finished products. They directly shape how much of an aromatic ingredient a formulator may use.
Need a term clarified for a specific ingredient?
Tell us which material you are evaluating and we will walk your team through the relevant specifications and documentation.
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