As consumers we are exposed on a daily basis to cosmetic claims, from brushing our teeth in the morning to using the latest anti-ageing creams. We can’t get away from them. Consumers are continually enticed by claims of intrigue and efficacy.

What are these cosmetic claims? How are they actually developed and justified?  With most consumers obtaining their information about cosmetic products from the press, internet sources and social media, it is important to discern between fact and fiction.

By examining the factors influencing the claims development process, the author aims to introduce consumers to the complexity and nuances of how the industry develops claims for its cosmetic products. They should also be more informed when choosing and purchasing cosmetic products, and be more circumspect when judging what they read in the press and on the internet and social media.

Cosmetic industry professionals, be they marketing, R&D or regulatory affairs, should gain a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved in developing effective cosmetic claims, and obtain more clarity in legislative compliance.

This book is presented in a way that will both provoke and appeal to all consumers irrespective of which side of the cosmetic counter they stand — colleagues in the industry or friends and family on the high street.

 Contents

Chapter 1: Why We Use Cosmetics – How Vain Are We?

……..The question of need versus desire is then discussed and provokes the reader to consider how their vanity also drives the need for cosmetics. In addition, it also touches on whether cosmetics are wrong, or is it how, what, and why they are used? ……………

 Chapter 2: The Skin

Some readers will sadly be surprised to read that skin is not just a sheet of rubbery wobbly cling film covering the body………….

 Chapter 3: Types of Claims and Where We Find Them

Making so-called cruelty-free claims or not tested on animals claims on products in the EU ………… implies that cosmetic products without such claims are tested on animals which is not true. This, in turn, can cause great damage to innocent companies and confuses the not-so-well-informed consumer.

Chapter 4: Cosmetic Claims – What Are They?

Whatever the consumer observes, perceives or feels when interacting with a cosmetic product, can be described as a claim……………….It is the variation in the claims that may mean different things, or even be misconstrued. …………The important question is, how relevant is the claim to the objective of the product, and will the consumer understand?

 Chapter 5: Legislation and Law

Claims cannot be considered ‘legal’ unless they are ‘truthful’. Truthfulness requires ‘evidence’. Evidence needs to be ‘honest’.Honesty requires ‘fairness’ which itself provides for “Informed decision-making” – and, ultimately, a satisfied consumer.

 Chapter 6: How Claims Are Made and Substantiated

When developing a claim…………..it is from the collective weight of evidence (across the six criteria) that the developer constructs their product claim(s) and provide proof for them.

 Chapter 7: Understanding Claims

Why do we have these problems with communication? The biggest problem humans today have with communication is that we do not listen (or even read) to understand . We listen/read to reply! Too much emphasis is placed on ‘perceiving’ what is read, rather than reading to ‘weigh and consider’. We need to make up our own minds individually, rather than as a collective.

 Chapter 8: Claims in a Green World Gone Grey

It is clear that it is just about impossible to make direct sustainability claim(s) on a cosmetic-product label. The complexity of sustainability demands made under the UN definition make it hard and extremely challenging. So, what happens next – what are the steps to help the industry move forward for sustainability claims?

 Chapter 9: Are We Worth It?

……… stirring up dreams and desires reduces cosmetic products to mere snake oil……….wearing makeup and using cosmetics for our skin’s needs is not an evil thing to do. How and why we use them, the claims, and how we choose to interpret them is an entirely different matter!

The Author 

Dr. Theresa Callaghan PhD is a skin care scientist and cosmetic product claim specialist. With an international career spanning more than 30 years, she is a valuable industry expert within the cosmetics industry having worked for a number of well-respected personal care companies at senior level. In 2008 the author set up her own consulting business, anticipating a need for more discipline of cosmetic claims, and furthering scientific developments involved in that process. The author is also widely published, sits on the scientific editorial board of the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, and is an active member of a number of professional societies.