Hypoallergenic skin care cosmetics

It is strange to note that although consumers are clued-up about so many different things in their environment - that they would still fall victim to advertisements from big multi-national cosmetic manufacturers that claim that their products are "hypoallergenic".

on this page The term hypoallergenic Cosmetic study on hypoallergenic products Legislation on the term "hypoallergenic" Tips for the consumer

The term hypoallergenic

In short - this terms means absolutely nothing - and has been reduced to mere advertising hype.

We at Dermaxime try to produce skin care cosmetics that are the least likely to cause any allergic reactions - which is what hypoallergenic means - but statistically anybody may be allergic to anything.

So, although we only use ingredients that have a very low allergic potential, to claim that our products are hypoallergenic will be kind of meaningless since large manufacturers claims boldly that their products are hypoallergenic - while this is in actual fact not the case.

Cosmetic study on hypoallergenic products

In one study - conducted by Murphy et al they note ".. We describe a 25-year-old woman referred with worsening eczema, which she related to the use of two skincare products. Both had been promoted as hypoallergenic and 'preservative free'; chemical analysis using HPLC confirmed the presence of methyldibromoglutaronitrile and formaldehyde, both at robust concentrations. We consider it unlikely that these were present as contaminants and suggest that the term hypoallergenic must be interpreted with caution .. ^{REF 533}

For years large cosmetic companies, with even larger advertising budgets have been claiming "hypoallergenic", "safe for sensitive skin" and/or "allergy tested" for the products they produce.

Although these statements are used to imply that the particular brand of skin care and make-up cosmetic products are less likely to cause allergic reactions than competing products - there are no assurances - since it is not regulated in any form - see the comments made by Murphy et al above.

The American safety watchdog - the Food and Drug Administration has been working to clear up this confusion by establishing testing requirements that would determine which products really are "hypoallergenic" and which can be marketed in such a way.

Legislation on the term "hypoallergenic"

In 1974, the FDA attempted to clear up this confusion and issued a proposal in February 1974, only to be challenged in court by Almay and Clinique – both manufacturers who rely heavily on the term “hypoallergenic” in their advertising.

Although the FDA initially won, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1977 reversed the Court ruling against Almay and Clinique, as the Court of Appeals held that the FDA regulation was invalid because the FDA had not demonstrated that consumers understood the term “hypoallergenic” in the way the FDA had defined it.

From then on - it has been "free-for-all" for companies to advertise their cosmetics as hypoallergenic, safe for sensitive skin and allergy tested - which negates the use of the term totally, since no guidelines need to be followed to make these claims.

This means there is no regulation specifically defining or governing the use of the term "hypoallergenic" or any similar claims.

But as we have stated previously - there is no such product that can be classed as 'non-allergic" - since anybody can be allergic to anything - and this sentiment is shared by the FDA in the USA.

Tips for the consumer

If a consumer is aware that he or she has an allergy to a specific cosmetic ingredient, the wisest course of action would be to check cosmetic labels for such an ingredient.

The FDA in the United States, and most other controlling bodies throughout the world, require that all ingredients be listed on the skin care product - or on the packaging.

To assist our customers, we list all our ingredients for this purpose. To look at the ingredients used in the Dermaxime range please click here.

Customers should however be well advised to look at cosmetic ingredients in a dispassionate way - as although the Internet is a great gateway for sharing information - it also is the breeding ground for urban legends. Scientific information is taken out of context, with horror stories aplenty - but when this information is seen in its true perspective, it shows that most of the horror stories are because people take things out of context.

Cosmetic ingredients on the whole are well researched and controlled - and legislative bodies ensure that unsafe cosmetic ingredients are not used and that the public is protected from generally unwanted side effects.