5 Skincare Claims You Shouldn’t Take At Face Value
Terms like “hypoallergenic,” “dermatologist-recommended,” and others have long been used in cosmetic labeling, but you may be surprised to know they don’t have much meaning behind them. The FDA currently has no regulations on these claims you see on everyday skincare products. In this article, we’ll break down what these claims mean for consumers.
“Dermatologist Recommended”
This claim must mean that dermatologists approve of the product and would recommend it to their patients right? Nope. Skincare brands can use this term even if just one dermatologist recommends it, and they could have paid that dermatologist.
“Hypoallergenic”
According to the FDA, “there are no federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term "hypoallergenic." The term means whatever a particular company wants it to mean. Manufacturers of cosmetics labeled as hypoallergenic are not required to submit substantiation of their hypoallergenicity claims to FDA.”
Those with sensitive skin should make sure to manually check the ingredients lists of products for possible allergens. Check out our article here on allergens in skincare and how to look out for them: Allergens In Skincare: What It Means For You.
“Cosmeceutical”
The term “cosmeceutical” is used in the skincare industry to refer to a cosmetic product that has medical or drug-like benefits. However, according to the FDA this term has no meaning under the law. This claim is often used to promote the effectiveness of a product; although without any proven scientific evidence, there is no reason for consumers to believe cosmeceutical products work more effectively.
“Cruelty-Free”
Unfortunately, “cruelty-free” is another unregulated term that can be misleading to consumers. According to the FDA, “some cosmetic companies promote their products with claims of this kind in their labeling or advertising. The unrestricted use of these phrases by cosmetic companies is possible because there are no legal definitions for these terms.” This meaning companies can claim “cruetly-free” even when that may not be entirely true. For example, a company could test the ingredients of a product on animals but not test the final product - and be able to legally claim that product is “cruelty-free.”
Clean Beauty
Clean beauty has been called out time and time again for fear mongering, and causing unnecessary panic around “chemicals” in products. Although some individuals with specific sensitivities may experience irritation from ingredients like parabens and other preservatives, for the vast majority these are not harmful. Clean beauty often claims to be formulated without preservatives, however a product without preservatives can grow bacteria and fungi leading to skin infections and irritations. The issue with “clean” or “natural” being used is that they are deceptive statements, and completely unregulated.
Shop Smart
These unregulated terms are misleading and often deceptive. Never take a claim at face value, we recommend always doing your own research on products. When in doubt, ingredients lists are a fail-safe tell all of what is truly in that product.
