Skin Care Articles

Many of us have heard the word hypoallergenic. Make-up, moisturizers, shampoos, and even jewelry use it on their labels and in advertisements. A product that causes less or no allergic reactions is what the majority of people think the definition of hypoallergenic is. But what does the term really mean?

The word first appeared in the 1960s from cosmetics advertisers. It comes from the Grecian prefix hypo, which means below or less. So the expression means less allergens. Since it's inception the saying has been widely adopted and used by marketers and companies to sell products that claim to be softer on the skin than other products basically the same. But is this really how it is?

On June 6, 1975, the FDA again tried to control using the term hypoallergenic by continuing to require tests be conducted, but with alterations to lower costs of manufacturers. This still didn't agree with the manufacturers who obviously wanted no regulations on what they were producing. Cosmetic companies challenged the FDA choice in the U.S. Court of Appeals, which decided that the regulation was invalid. The court said the definition of hypoallergenic the FDA gave was not fair because of a lack of evidence that people perceived the term the same as it is described by the organization. The final result? Manufacturers can continue to advertise and label their products hypoallergenic with no rules or laws set up by the government. Consumers have no assurance that a product labeled hypoallergenic is any less harsh than any other products. Suffice it to say, a business could put out a product that is hypoallergenic that is full of toxins and allergens. The FDA attempted to put standards on products that said they were hypoallergenic in 1974. The FDA said that a product could be labeled hypoallergenic only if studies were conducted on test subjects and it showed a blatantly lower reaction to allergens than other products. It then stated the manufacturers had to conduct these studies on their own and (most importantly) at their own cost. This of course caused big upsets and cosmetics producers immediately began lawsuits against the choice, saying that the tests would cause an undue economic burden on them. Clinique and Almay, two manufacturers of hypoallergenic products, were the most aggressive challengers to the FDA.

By rule the products said to be hypoallergenic are required to create less allergic reactions to the product than those that are not hypoallergenic. Users with delicate skin, and even users with ordinary skin, may perceive that these goods will be gentler to their skin than non-hypoallergenic beauty products. There are no Federal regulations or terms that control the use of the term hypoallergenic. The expression means whatever a particular business wants it to mean. Makers of products that claim to be hypoallergenic are not required to report substantiation of their hypoallergenicity claims to Food and Drug Administration. The saying hypoallergenic may have considerable market value in boosting sales of beauty products to people on a retail basis, but doctors say it has little meaning.

Requiring a list of ingredients the product contains on the box seems to be the only victory the FDA had against the cosmetics companies. As customers, we must be aware of ingredients in the products we consume because apparently the manufacturers who make them aren't extremely concerned about our health over their profit margins. There is without a doubt some products out there that claim to be hypoallergenic actually are, but if you are an intelligent customer and concerned for you and your family's well being, you will do the research on your own and not rely on unfounded companies proclamations .