Skin Care Articles

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

The expression first appeared in the 1960s from cosmetics advertisers. The term originates from the Greek prefix hypo, which translates to below or less. Less allergens is the literal translation of the word. Since it's inception the term has been widely accepted and used by manufacturers, marketers, and advertisers to sell products that claim to be less reactive on the skin than other products similar to it. But how true is this actually?

The FDA sought out to put regulations on products that said they were hypoallergenic in 1974. The FDA said that a product could be deemed as hypoallergenic only if studies were conducted on patients and it proved to be a blatantly lower reaction to allergies than other products. It then stated the companies had to do these tests on their own and (most importantly) at their own expense. This as usual caused major problems and cosmetics producers without hesitation began suits against the decision, claiming that the tests would cause an undue financial hardship on them. The two most prolific challengers of this attempt at regulation were Almay and Clinique, two producers of hypoallergenic products.

The FDA attempted again to regulate the use of the term on June 6, 1975 by still requiring manufacturers to do scientific tests but the procedures for the experiments were altered to lower the expense to the manufacturers. Manufacturers who apparently didn't want any regulations on the products they manufactured did not like this either. Cosmetic companies opposed the FDA choice in the U.S. Court of Appeals, which ruled that the guideline was not binding. The judges said the definition of hypoallergenic the FDA gave was not fair because of a lack of proof that people thought of the word the same as it is described by the organization. The result? Cosmetics producers can continue to advertise and label their products hypoallergenic with no regulation or laws set forth by the government. Customers have no assurance that a product labeled hypoallergenic is any less harsh than any other products. So really, a company could produce a product that is hypoallergenic that is full of toxins and allergy causing agents. The American Food and Drug Administration has stated, Hypoallergenic cosmetics are products that companies say produce fewer allergic reactions than other products. Users with sensitive skin, as well as people with ordinary skin, may be led to believe that these products will be more gentle to their epidermis than non-hypoallergenic cosmetics. There are no Federal standards or definitions that control the use of the expression hypoallergenic. A company can make the term mean whatever they want it to. Makers of products that claim to be hypoallergenic are not required to prove substantiation of their hypoallergenic properties to Food and Drug Administration. The expression hypoallergenic may have considerable market value in boosting sales of cosmetic products to customers on a retail basis, but doctors say it has very little meaning.

The lone small triumph that the FDA seems to have had is that at least now manufacturers now have to put the ingredients on the labels of the products so that consumers can stay away from substances that they know they are allergic to or have had difficulties with before. As consumers, we must be aware of ingredients in the products we use because obviously the companies who make them aren't very concerned about our well being over their profit margins. There is no doubt that some products that exist that claim to be hypoallergenic actually are, but if you are a wise customer and concerned for you and your family's well being, you will do some studying on your own and not rely on these companies proclamations .