This electronic version of the International Buyers' Guide is updated twice per year. The printed version of the Buyers' Guide is published annually by the Personal Care Products Council (Council) as a service to the personal care products industry. The Buyers' Guide is an indispensable resource featuring the most comprehensive listing of cosmetic raw materials and their suppliers. It contains over 19,100 ingredients listed by INCI name and cross-referenced to over 70,000 technical and trade names. Contact information is provided for more than 4,200 ingredient suppliers from 105 countries. In addition, the Buyers' Guide lists hundreds of packaging suppliers and service providers, testing and consulting facilities, and private label manufacturers. Every purchasing agent, formulator, cosmetic chemist and supplier will find this simple-to-use reference a must for quickly locating international suppliers to the cosmetic and personal care products industry. Distribution of the printed edition of the Buyers' Guide reaches manufacturers in the U.S., Europe, Japan and many other countries. You can order a printed version of the International Buyers' Guide through the Council's Bookstore or by contacting: Personal Care Products Council Publications Orders at 301-953-2614, fax 301-206-9789, E-mail publications@personalcarecouncil.org. Council members may receive an unlimited number of free copies of the printed version where shipping is paid in advance ($27 per copy if shipped in U.S.; if ordering more than three copies, contact customer service at 301-953-2614 for bulk shipping rates). The cost for Council non-members is $235 per copy. For all international orders, contact customer service for air shipping costs.

INCI Labeling Names

INCI (International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient) names are used in the United States, the European Union, Japan, and many other countries, for listing ingredients on cosmetic product labels. With few exceptions, the INCI labeling names in all countries are the same. The exceptions include some botanicals, colorants, and "trivial names." "Trivial name" is the designation given to a different specific name that is used in one particular region because of consumer (or government) sensitivity to an existing INCI name. Additionally, in some countries (currently Mexico, and Japan), while the INCI name is the basis of the ingredient labeling names, they are translated or transliterated. To determine the appropriate labeling name for a cosmetic ingredient in each market, you should consult the most current version of Council's International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, or the official translation for those countries requiring INCI names in their national language. All INCI names are assigned by the International Nomenclature Committee, which has industry and government representatives from the major international markets.To apply for an INCI name, please use INCI Application (Form TN).  There is a $200.00 charge per trade name.