Behind Lovelivo: How we analyze the INCI of every product before it enters our catalog
Behind Lovelivo: how we analyze the INCI of every product before it enters our catalog
Not everything that lands on our desk ends up in the shop. We’re opening up the internal process every product goes through before receiving the Love Livo seal: what we look at, what we reject, and why.
Every week, we receive proposals from brands that want to be part of Love Livo. Some arrive with beautiful packaging, an impeccable brand story, and a very well-constructed “natural” positioning. And yet, a significant portion of those proposals never make it to our shop. The reason is almost always the same: the INCI does not pass our filter.
We are asked this question frequently: how do you decide what enters Love Livo and what doesn’t? It is not an aesthetic decision or a matter of taste. It is a methodical process with fixed criteria that we apply in the same way to a newborn brand as we do to an established firm. In this article, we open up that process so you can understand exactly what is behind every product that bears our seal.
Why we review the INCI instead of trusting brand marketing
The front label of a cosmetic product is, above all, a sales tool. Phrases like “natural,” “gentle,” or “suitable for sensitive skin” are not regulated with strict criteria, and any brand can use them legally even if its formulation contains ingredients that we ourselves would exclude. The only truly objective information about a cosmetic product is its INCI list: the list of ingredients in the order they appear by concentration.
That is why our selection process begins and ends with the INCI. We do not evaluate a brand by its history, its packaging, or the quality of its product photography—all of that matters later, for the shopping experience—but by what is actually contained in the formula that will come into contact with a baby's skin.
🔍 Our starting point: no brand enters Love Livo without us having personally reviewed the full INCI of each reference, not just the flagship product of the collection.
The five steps every product follows before entering our catalog
We ask every brand for the complete INCI list for each reference, directly from the laboratory or the cosmetic registry, never copied from the packaging. This is important because formulas change over time and the packaging doesn't always reflect the most recent version.
We compare every ingredient against our internal list of excluded substances: long-chain parabens, phthalates, questioned chemical sunscreen filters, triclosan, synthetic petroleum-derived dyes, aggressive SLS/SLES, and undisclosed fragrances, among others. The presence of just one of these ingredients is enough for the product to be rejected at this stage.
It is not enough to look at which ingredients appear: it also matters where they appear. An ingredient located in the top positions of the INCI is present in a higher concentration than one located at the end. We check that the base of the formula is composed of quality ingredients, and not just that the “star ingredients” of the marketing appear in almost symbolic traces at the end of the list.
We request the declared pH of each formula and verify that it falls within the appropriate range for baby skin (between 4.5 and 5.5 for most hygiene products). If the brand cannot provide this data, we consider it a sign that the product development was not designed specifically for infant skin.
Only when a formula has passed the previous four filters do we test the product practically: texture, scent, behavior on skin and hair, and packaging functionality. This is the last phase, not the first, precisely to prevent a good sensory experience from leading us to overlook a formulation that could be improved.
Which ingredients we systematically discard and why
| Ingredient / family | Reason for exclusion | Status at Love Livo |
|---|---|---|
| Propylparaben, Butylparaben | Documented estrogenic activity | Always excluded |
| Phthalates (hidden in "Parfum") | Possible hormonal disruption | Always excluded |
| Oxybenzone, Octinoxate | Systemic absorption and hormonal activity | Excluded in sunscreens |
| Triclosan | Thyroid function disruption | Always excluded |
| SLS / SLES in high concentration | Potential irritant for infant skin | Case-by-case evaluation |
| Synthetic CI dyes | No functional purpose, only aesthetic | Always excluded |
| Vegetable oils, shea butter | Quality emollients, good tolerance | Prioritized |
This table summarizes our most frequent criteria, but the complete exclusion list is more extensive and includes dozens of additional substances. We review and update it periodically as new scientific evidence appears.
What happens when a brand does not pass the filter
We explain the specific reason to the brand
We do not respond with a generic “it doesn't fit our catalog.” We indicate which specific ingredient or ingredients caused the rejection, so the brand understands exactly where its formula does not meet our criteria.
We leave the door open for reformulation
Several brands that are now part of Love Livo arrived with a formula that didn't pass the first review, reformulated it based on our feedback, and successfully presented it again.
We do not make exceptions for sales volume
The fact that a brand is very popular or has a large production capacity does not change the result of the analysis. The ingredient criteria are the same for a firm with twenty years of history as for a newly launched artisan brand.
What buying at Love Livo really means
When a family buys a product in our shop, they are not just buying a gel, a cream, or a sunscreen. They are buying the result of a review process that has already been done for them: the INCI has already been analyzed, cross-referenced with our exclusion list, and verified for its pH and suitability for infant skin.
That is, at its heart, our value proposition: saving you the time and the technical knowledge required to read an INCI with discernment, so you can trust that any product in our catalog has already passed that filter before reaching your cart.
At Love Livo, we don't select products based on packaging or trends: we select them ingredient by ingredient. Every reference in our catalog has gone through this same process, without exception.
Discover products we have already reviewed
Every reference in our catalog has passed our INCI analysis process. With shipping to all of Spain.