INCI names / Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil INCI name
The INCI name for sunflower oil is Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil in a lotion or balm, and Sodium Sunflowerseedate in cold-process soap, where the oil reacts with lye and the oil itself is no longer in the finished bar.
| In lotions, balms and other cosmetics | Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil |
|---|---|
| In cold-process soap (sodium hydroxide) | Sodium Sunflowerseedate |
| In liquid soap (potassium hydroxide) | Potassium Sunflowerseedate |
| Superfat share in soap (unreacted) | Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil |
| On a US label | Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil; in soap, Sodium Sunflowerseedate (no FDA registry record; printed as the EU name) |
| In Great Britain and Northern Ireland | The same names as the EU. Northern Ireland uses the EU glossary cited below; Great Britain still uses the glossary it kept from the EU, where the same names have other entry numbers. |
| Also entered as | sunflower, sunflower seed oil |
Glossary citation: Sodium Sunflowerseedate #27044; Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil #11678; Potassium Sunflowerseedate #22768 (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175 on EUR-Lex).
One detail catches many labels: the EU glossary name has no common name in brackets. In the EU and the UK it is "Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil"; the bracketed form, "Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil", is the US name.
In the soap or skincare tool, put it on its own line with its weight, for example "sunflower oil, 30", and the tool prints the right name for the product type and the region you choose.
Transcribed from the EU glossary of common ingredient names (Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175) and checked against it; the US names are the ones FDA's substance registry (GSRS) records. A labelling reference, not safety advice.