Ignore the front. On the back, ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity using standard INCI names, so the first three tell you most of what you're buying and the position of Carica papaya tells you how much paw paw is really in there.
Two tubes, same shelf, both say paw paw, one costs three times the other. The front of the pack won't tell you why. The back will, in about thirty seconds.
The one rule that does most of the work
Ingredients are listed in order of quantity, highest first.
That's a legal requirement for cosmetics sold in Australia, and it's the single most useful thing on the pack. Everything below roughly the fifth ingredient is present in small amounts. Anything after the fragrance is usually a fraction of a percent.
So when a balm is named after paw paw and Carica papaya appears eighth, you now know something the front of the tube was not going to tell you.
Decoding the base
The first one or two ingredients are the base — the bulk of the product and what actually seals moisture in.
Petroleum-derived, listed as:
- Petrolatum
- Paraffinum liquidum
- Mineral oil
- White soft paraffin
- Cera microcristallina
Waxes and plant-derived, listed as:
- Cera alba (beeswax)
- Copernicia cerifera (carnauba)
- Euphorbia cerifera (candelilla)
- Butyrospermum parkii (shea)
- Theobroma cacao (cocoa butter)
- Cocos nucifera, Helianthus annuus, Ricinus communis (coconut, sunflower, castor)
Neither group is unsafe. But if you picked the tube up because it said natural and the first ingredient is petrolatum, that's worth knowing.
Finding the paw paw
Look for Carica papaya — the fruit, the fruit extract, or Carica papaya seed oil. These are different inputs:
- Carica papaya fruit extract or fermented Carica papaya — from the fruit
- Carica papaya seed oil — pressed from the seeds, lighter, absorbs faster
A product can contain one, the other, or both. Note where each sits.
The rest of the list, briefly
- Tocopherol / tocopheryl acetate — vitamin E. Common, does a real job as an antioxidant.
- Parfum / fragrance — a single word covering a mixture. If you're reactive, this is often the culprit.
- CI numbers — colour. CI 45410 and friends are dyes.
- Phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, sorbic acid — preservatives. Necessary in anything water-containing.
- Aqua — water. If it's high in the list, it's an emulsion rather than an anhydrous balm.
What isn't on the back, and should influence you anyway
Size. 15g and 25g tubes sit next to each other at similar prices. Work out the price per gram; the difference is often larger than the price difference suggests.
Origin. Made in Australia, Certified Australian Made, and Australian Owned are three different claims. Only the first two are about where it was made.
Date. Balms with plant oils in them do age. The open-jar symbol — a small tub with "12M" or "24M" — is how many months it's good for after opening.
The thirty-second method
In the aisle:
- Turn it over.
- Read the first three ingredients. That's most of the product.
- Find Carica papaya and note its position.
- Check for beeswax if you're vegan.
- Check grams, and divide the price.
That's it. It's more information than any front-of-pack claim will give you.
For reference, OGA's paw paw balm is a 25g tube listing fermented paw paw, papaya seed oil and vitamin E, and the full list is printed on the back in order.
Frequently asked
How do I know how much paw paw is in a paw paw balm? Find Carica papaya in the ingredients list and note its position. Ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity, so an entry near the end means a small amount.
What does INCI mean? International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients — the standardised naming system used on cosmetic labels so the same ingredient is named the same way everywhere.
Is petrolatum bad in a paw paw balm? Cosmetic-grade petrolatum is highly refined and widely regarded as safe for topical use. It's a very effective occlusive. The objection is usually that it's petroleum-derived rather than a safety concern.
What is the difference between paw paw fruit extract and papaya seed oil? Fruit extract or fermented paw paw comes from the fruit; seed oil is pressed from the seeds and is lighter and faster-absorbing. Products may contain either or both.
What does the 12M symbol mean? The small open-jar symbol shows how many months the product is good for after opening — 12M means twelve months.
OGA Paw Paw Balm is a 25g moisturising skin balm made in Australia with fermented paw paw, papaya seed oil and vitamin E. It is a cosmetic product and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition.
