Cruelty Free?
Written by certifiedorganicOrganic
Although the USDA has set strict guidelines regulating food labeled organic, the guidelines do not apply to skin care products. Many of these products have as little as 50% organic ingredients, some even less—products with at least one organic ingredient can be labeled “organic,” regardless of the other ingredients used.
Hypoallergenic (also dermatologist tested, allergy tested, non-irritating)
For consumers with sensitive skin, moisturizers with any of these labels may seem like the safest option, but claims that these products produce fewer allergic reactions are unfounded. The FDA warns, “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.” There are no organizations behind these claims and manufacturers are not required to provide evidence that these products do, in fact, produce fewer allergic reactions. In fact, the FDA also cautions that nearly all cosmetic products will cause an allergic reaction in some sensitive individuals.
Non-Comedogenic
Although there is no official definition of this term, the FDA says that it should mean that the product does not contain pore-clogging ingredients that could lead to acne. However, the FDA does not provide a list of ingredients considered non-comedogenic and no organization verifies manufacturers claims. The National Institute of Health recommends that individuals with acne look for oil-free products.
Cruelty-free (also no animal testing)
Although the “cruelty-free” and “no animal testing” labels suggest that no animal testing was done on the product or its ingredients, consumers may be surprised to learn that neither label guarantees this. No legal definitions of these claims exist and no independent organization verifies them. In fact, it is not uncommon for manufactures whose products bear these labels to commission laboratories to conduct test on animals, arguing that that they themselves do not conduct animal tests.