What this site does, and what it refuses to do
inci.blue is built around a deliberately narrow job: help you understand the cosmetic label you are already looking at.
| We do | We do not |
|---|---|
| Map Korean ingredient names to useful label context | Rank products or publish paid picks |
| Explain current Korean functional-cosmetics and labeling rules | Turn every ingredient into a good/bad score |
| Use regulatory and peer-reviewed sources appropriate to each claim | Copy explanations from other ingredient sites |
| State when evidence or dictionary coverage is limited | Give diagnosis, pregnancy or medication advice |
Why there are no product rankings
The site's value depends on the reader being able to separate an explanation from a sales incentive. Ranking products would change that incentive structure immediately, so inci.blue stays on the label-reading side of the decision.
Which sources belong where
MFDS and Korean law are the primary sources for Korean regulatory claims. The Korean Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary is used for standardized naming, not as proof that an ingredient has a particular clinical effect. CIR assessments and peer-reviewed literature are used when an article makes safety or efficacy-related statements. International regulatory databases are used only when a cross-market comparison requires them.
This distinction matters. A source can be authoritative and still be the wrong source for a specific claim.
What changed in the final English-content review
The first version of this page described Korea as having three functional-cosmetics claims and a fixed number of fragrance allergens. Both were too brittle. The current MFDS functional-cosmetics scope is broader, and fragrance-allergen requirements are maintained in a separate notice that can change. The page now describes the systems rather than freezing old shortcuts into the brand promise.
What the tools answer
The ingredient reader accepts Hangul or INCI and explains the entries it recognizes. The pairing checker summarizes the evidence level behind common ingredient combinations. When the data is incomplete, the tools are supposed to say so rather than manufacture a precise answer.
Where the site stops
Persistent irritation, suspected allergy, skin disease, pregnancy, prescription products and medication interactions belong outside the scope of a cosmetic label reader. Articles can explain public cosmetic data; they cannot replace clinical advice.
Corrections and updates
Regulations change. Scientific evidence changes more slowly but still changes. Each revised article carries a modified date, and regulatory pages are checked more frequently than evergreen ingredient definitions.
For this final review, I checked the site's own policy statements against the current MFDS functional-cosmetics scope and Korean ingredient-labeling rules so the About page does not promise a simplified system that the content itself has already outgrown.
- MFDS: Current scope of Functional Cosmetics
- Korea Cosmetics Act Enforcement Rule: ingredient labeling order and exceptions
- MFDS: 2026 notice on cosmetic precautions and fragrance-allergen labeling
- Korean Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary
- PubMed search index used for peer-reviewed literature
Frequently asked
Do you recommend products?
No. inci.blue explains ingredients, labels and regulatory context. It does not rank products or publish best-of lists.
Where does the information come from?
Korean laws and MFDS notices, the Korean Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary for naming, international regulatory databases where relevant, CIR safety reviews and peer-reviewed literature.
Do you accept payment for product coverage?
No product is selected for analysis because a brand paid for coverage, and rankings are not sold because the site does not publish rankings.
Are the tools free?
Yes. The current ingredient reader and pairing checker require no account.
How do you handle changing regulations?
Regulatory articles carry a checked or modified date and are updated when the underlying rule changes.