Spin Factor
1 A valid cosmetic term that's backed by clinical proof or the required cosmetic tests or a legal definition.
2 A legitimate cosmetic term with a caveat: Its use on labels is not a guarantee that the product actually complies with the definition. (In other words, it's perfectly legal for a company to use this term on their product for any reason.)
3 It may sound like a legitimate cosmetic or scientific term, but it's not. It's spin.

Labelling Law Primer

It's hard to believe but there is no U.S. government or cosmetics industry task force that approves (or even reads) labels before a product hits the spa or store shelf. That's because the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetics Act doesn't call for it. The regulations are minimal, says chemist Bob Manzo. "They essentially state that any product which enhances the appearance of the skin is a cosmetic and any product that affects the structure and function of the skin is a drug." The latter come under the scrutiny of the FDA, the former only draw the agency's attention if the label states or implies that the product will change the skin. Otherwise misleading labels are the province of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

For cosmetic makers, the goal is to stay on the right side of the labelling law, while successfully wooing consumers. Product claims are carefully worded to go right up to the border of the structure-and-function line, says Manzo, using code words like restorative, soothing, and de-creasing (hyphen intentional, as decreasing would imply change). "We all look to the big beauty companies for where the line is drawn for two reasons," says Manzo. "They're watched most closely by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which investigate and enforce product claims, and they generally check with these agencies through their own lawyers in D.C. for compliance."

BEAUTY

Spa Prescription | Reading Beauty Product Labels

What do the words on beauty products really mean?

by Melisse Gelula

A beauty-product label is a peculiar hybrid of truth and dare--of stating facts and creating impressions. It's the product of finding new wrinkles for old words and writing fine lines about fine lines that, in the United States, stay on the right side of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act; the law that governs cosmetic labels. Some commonly used words, for instance "brightening," have a specific meaning when it comes to cosmetics. Others, such as "detoxifying," have none at all--but they sure sound good. And it's not unusual to find a scientific sounding term ("patented complex") or one imported from dermatology ("non-comedogenic" or "epidermal") used to imply that a product has been proven effective, or one that sounds like it adheres to a governing body's laws or standards like "organic".

To be an intelligent consumer these days, you have to understand the lingo. Of course, there are hundreds of cosmetics terms and no one is going to lug the law books with them when out shopping. So we've culled 12 commonly-used label terms and provided the cosmetic definitions for you. We also asked a leading cosmetic chemist or dermatologist for a pithy perspective on a given term and to assign it a spin rating from one to three. (See the sidebar for the Spin Factor key.) The terms are arranged in ascending order of spin.

It is important to keep in mind that the spin rating only reflects the legitimacy of a word from a cosmetic perspective. It is not a rating of product effectiveness. Often the only way to tell if a product delivers the benefit touted on the label is to try it. If it works for you, then it works.

Photographs of bottles by Jay & Ani; composite photographs by Katie Rutherford




E-mail this page to a friend
Send