What Cosmetic Claims Actually Mean and How They May Deceive You

in MakeUp Power3 years ago


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The beauty and cosmetic industry is a tough competition. Many new products are emerging every year and each has their own way to stand out from the rest. To any cosmetic product, cosmetic claims are very important marketing tools because of their role in buyer decision process. As consumers, you should know that cosmetic claims are not always the accurate description of the product and will always have underlying “buy me” intentions. Let’s talk about what these cosmetic claims actually mean and you’ll be surprised how most of them can actually be very deceiving.

1. 100% Natural / Made with Natural Ingredients


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Let’s start with the most commonly abused claim in cosmetics: natural. It is supposed to imply that product contains ingredients that is sourced from nature and hence safe. Media has bamboozled the public in to believing that natural is better. But, what do you really mean by “Natural?”. The term is hazy because of its diverse definition and that’s where the problem comes from. Is it devoid of preservatives? How do they control bacterial contamination then? Is it free from “processed” ingredients? How do they get rid of impurities then? The word “natural” on cosmetic labels is not regulated by any governing authority and thus easily misused by cosmetic companies. This does not guarantee a product to be better than ones that are not marked “natural”. It is not necessarily better than products containing synthetic ingredients and neither does this claim guarantee you that the product contains processed or synthetic ingredients.

2. Organic / Organic Cosmetics

Same with the word natural, there is no concise definition or standard for “organic” label on cosmetic products. It’s presumably stated to showcase their product as safe and free from artificial chemicals. In the Philippines, Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards is the only government authority that approves or rejects organic labels but these are applicable only to food and agricultural products. Food and Drug Authority Philippines (FDA) does not regulate “organic” as cosmetic claims as of time of writing, so anyone can use it. You may check with your country's regulating body.

3. Cruelty Free/ Animal Friendly


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Cruelty Free/Animal Friendly products are products that do not perform any test on animals. Personally, I admire companies who care about welfare of animals. Consumers who support animal-friendly advocacy may opt for products that says “cruelty free” or “not tested on animals”. However, here are things you should know before you grab these products:
  • Products that do not test on animals most of the time, mean that there is nothing innovative about their formulation or their ingredients. They rely on available standards on cosmetic product formulation that have already been proven to be effective and/or safe through guess what? – most likely by animal testing.
  • If the ingredients or formulation is new and a product claims they don’t test on animals, well maybe their suppliers already did, and this claim doesn’t guarantee that.

4. Environmentally Friendly


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“Green Beauty” is slowly becoming a trend and there has been an influx of new products promoting eco-friendliness and sustainability. "Maybe they cant win it with superior formulation, so they bank on environmental advocacy to stand out." – this is just my inner demon talking every time I see products with these claims. This doesn’t have be true.

Though companies that have sincere intentions to preserve the environment are truly admirable, I remain skeptical about this claim not until I do more research about the product and its company. It’s difficult to determine how “environmentally friendly” they are when there is no third-party verification (in the Philippines) of the company’s methods in conserving the environment. There is a growing environmental awareness in our society so companies want to present their product in a way that adheres to the sentiments of environmentally-conscious consumers. Environmentally friendliness is executed in multiple ways and mostly have nothing to do with how the product perform for its intended use. Some cosmetic companies use biodegradable packaging, some give proceeds of sales to environmental projects and other philanthropic efforts. If you really want to support products with environmental advocacy, it is best to check their website and do some research to make sure your purchase is in harmony with your intentions.

5. Chemical Free (LOL)

Unless your jar of night cream contains pure energy or complete vacuum this claim is just, so wrong. Don’t buy any product that claims it.

6. Hypoallergenic


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It literally means “below” or “less” allergenic. These are claims that tell consumers that it will less likely to cause allergic reactions. Though it sounds to like one, “hypoallergenic” is not a medical term. Any company can use this claim and it will be up to them how to validate this. In 1975, USFDA attempted to regulate this term but was challenged by big cosmetic companies. The latter turned out victorious and ruled that the regulation was invalid. Today, anyone can tell their product is hypoallergenic and free from chemicals they deem as allergens.

7. Dermatologist-Approved


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This claim means that the product has been reviewed by a dermatologist, a medical professional for skin, scalp and nails. However, contrary to most consumers think, this claim doesn’t necessarily mean that a clinical trial has been made and a panel dermatologist endorses it. All that may have happened is that a dermatologist tested the product, and found out it didn’t burn their skin and so did not object its release in the market – who knows. Here are the things that comes to my mind when I see a product that is dermatologist approved:
  • What are the affiliation of these dermatologist? What if the dermatologist is the company’s employee?
  • At what standards are these products “approved?”

This is not to discredit dermatologist because they are skin professionals. It’s just that this claim is not strictly regulated so there’s never really a way to know how it was approved. Know more about the product and its ingredients. Don’t rely on this claim to decide if it’s the best product for you.

8. Dermatologically Tested


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Here’s what comes in to my mind when I see products that are dermatologist tested: “ So How did the test go? Is it good or bad?”

Who knows how the test went. There is no uniform standards across the industry on what test procedure is to be followed for companies to make such a claim and no regulating body on how these claims are used. So to me, these claim can't really guarantee a product's efficacy and safety.

9. Does not Contain * Insert scary ingredient here *


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So a product does not contain, for example, paraben - wow great. It is intended to showcase the superiority of the product by not having an ingredient that is perceived as harmful. However, paraben is legal and this claim should not vilify other products that contain it.

Also, this claim doesn’t really tell anything about the other ingredients that it contains besides on what it doesn’t have. This claim will be helpful for consumers who have specific list of ingredients that choose to avoid. It should not be the basis to generalize that all products containing this ingredient is unsafe.

10. Alcohol Free


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Consumer tend to believe that “alcohol free” products are better because they believe it can dry out their skin. These products do not mean alcohols in general but they are actually referring to ethyl alcohol. True, ethyl alcohol may cause dryness but it depends on its relative amount in the product. Alcohols are a large family of chemicals and not all alcohols can cause dryness. Cetyl, stearyl and cetearyl alcohol has very different properties with ethyl alcohol and are used in products to improve skin feel/texture. This claim may deceive you in a way that you think all alcohols are bad for you- of course not.

Yes, it is a wilderness out there and sadly some companies treat labels as a marketing strategy more than a statement of factual information. But how do you know the good products then?

Be Informed


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That’s why blogs like these and many other reputable sources out there are here for –to inform consumers. Also many reputable products substantiate their claims in their website.

Patch Test


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If in doubt, patch test. If you are not sure if your night cream will not irritate your skin, apply a small amount in a small area for 3 to 4 consecutive days. Well, if it does not suit you, atleast a small patch of red and irritated skin is better than a massive ripe tomato sitting on top of your neck.

Read the product ingredients

Ingredients list is important because products are required by law to disclose them. Products can claim whatever they want but all truth boils down to what their ingredients say. If a product says it contains aloe vera but it is in the last few items in the product ingredients, then it gives you an idea aloe vera in the product is too little to give noticeable effects.

Parting Note....

This is not to tell you not to buy products that bear these claims but rather it encourages you to be a wiser consumer. Many products are presented in a way that invoke emotion that will drive us to buy them. Remember, there is no better judge of product’s quality than you. No decorated marketing claims or hype will ever replace the product’s actual result on you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


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Anne Porter

I'm Catherine Anne - I love to be called by my two names but people are lazy so they call me Anne. I am a Chemical Engineer, Pole Dancer, Cosmetic Nerd and Crypto-Newbie squeezed into a five-foot-one human. I am excited to share pieces of my self to this community. I hope that you love this tiny space I occupy in Hive.

If you think I deserve some lovin' please do upvote this post and leave a comment - I'd be very happy to read them. Follow me so I can annoy you more often. Love ya'

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Hopefully there will continue to be more animal cruelty free products on the way.

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