Skin Care Articles

Many of us are familiar with the expression hypoallergenic. Make-up, moisturizers, shampoos, and even jewelry use it on their labels and in advertising. Most consumers think it means a product that is hypoallergenic won't react with their allergies. But what does the term really mean?

The saying first appeared in the 60s from cosmetics advertisers. The word originates from the Grecian prefix hypo, which means below or less. Less allergies is the actual translation of the word. Since it's creation it has been commonly accepted and used by manufacturers, marketers, and advertisers to sell products that say they are gentler on the skin than other products basically the same. But how true is this really?

The FDA attempted to put laws on products that said they were hypoallergenic in 1974. They said that a product could be labeled hypoallergenic only if tests were done on patients and it proved to be a blatantly lower reaction to allergens than products not making the claim. It then stated the manufacturers had to conduct these experiments on their own and (most importantly) at their own expense. This as usual caused major upsets and manufacturers immediately filed lawsuits opposing the choice, saying that the tests would pose an unfair financial strain on them. Clinique and Almay, two manufacturers of hypoallergenic products, were the most prolific challengers to the FDA.

On June 6, 1975, the FDA again attempted to regulate using the term hypoallergenic by continuing to require studies be conducted, but with changes to cut down on costs of manufacturers. Manufacturers who evidently didn't want any regulations on the products they manufactured did not agree with this either. Cosmetic companies challenged the FDA decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals, which ruled that the guideline was no good. The court stated the definition of hypoallergenic the FDA gave was unjust because of a lack of evidence that consumers perceived the word the same as it is described by the organization. The final outcome? Manufacturers can continue to advertise and label their products hypoallergenic without any kind of rules or standard set forth by the government. People have no assurance that a product labeled hypoallergenic is any less allergic than other products. Suffice it to say, a company could produce a product that is hypoallergenic that is loaded with toxins and allergy causing agents. By rule the cosmetics said to be hypoallergenic are forced to produce less allergic reactions to the cosmetics than those that are not hypoallergenic. People with hypersensitive skin, in addition to people with regular skin, may be led to believe that these goods will be gentler to their skin than non-hypoallergenic beauty products. There are no Federal standards or definitions that regulate the use of the saying hypoallergenic. It means whatever a specific business wants it to mean. Makers of goods labeled as hypoallergenic are not required to submit substantiation of their hypoallergenicity claims to FDA. The word hypoallergenic has little meaning according to physicians even though it is a significant marketing term.

Requiring a list of ingredients the product has in it on the box seems to be the only victory the FDA had against the cosmetics companies. As consumers, we must know ingredients in the products we consume because apparently the manufacturers who make them aren't very concerned about our lives over their profit margins. There is undoubtedly some products that exist that claim to be hypoallergenic really are, but if you are a smart person and concerned about you and your family's well being, you will do the research on your own and not be reliant on unfounded companies claims .