Logos and Claims and Certifications, Oh My! A Comprehensive Guide to Deciphering Beauty Labels
We thought we had seen it all in the beauty biz — until we heard about a lawsuit against Clinique and other brands claiming false advertising on products labelled “oil-free” (ICYMI, check out this Dr. Dray video for more info). Why the sudden controversy? Spurred by consumer demand for transparency and greenwashing, there’s an expectation that product claims and certifications are “official” and that they align exactly with what is found on an ingredient list or a brand’s marketing strategy.
At the same time, we’ve seen the number of claims and certifications proliferate. For example, on one Biossance product, we noticed the following — “EWG-certified, vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, paraben-free, fragrance-free, and PEG-free.” Whew. Not only that, but YT influencers like Cassandra Bankson are advocating for vegan and cruelty-free products.
So, what does this mean for you, dear Skindie? As you potentially reset your skincare routine and navigate new launches in 2022, here’s a guide on all the official vs. non-official seals of approval with visuals to boot (spoiler: multiple bunny logos are involved).
But first, here are some things to keep in mind — 1) there is little regulation and even the “official” ones are self-certifications that companies pay independent organizations for that they may already be members of, 2) claims vary widely by local market requirements, and 3) some brands might meet the criteria for these logos or seals but opt not to use them as a marketing tool, don’t have the resources to pay for them, or simply might not prioritize their use. Here at Skindie, our product recs might occasionally highlight these claims if they are meaningful and relevant, but we’re also aware of what might be going on behind the scenes and thus choose carefully.
What’s Legit
Cruelty-Free (or Animal-Test Free)
This designation refers to products that have not been tested on animals and also certifies that ingredients contained have not been tested on animals. If you’re curious, you can read more about how animal testing is defined. There have been three bodies that issue certifications related to animal testing and they’ve all settled on the bunny as their logo — but we’ll try to keep it simple.
First up is the Leaping Bunny program, run by animal protection groups known as the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) in the U.S. and Canada, and administered by its international partner Cruelty-Free International globally. Leaping Bunny is the only internationally-recognized standard that guarantees products are not tested on animals. It issues the first two logos above. An organization called “Choose Cruelty-Free Australia” that joined Cruelty-Free International, issues the third logo (while this one might get phased out, you may still spot it).
You’re probably most familiar with these pink-eared bunnies made famous by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) Beauty Without Bunnies program. The language and symbols continue to evolve, so we’ve only included the latest and greatest logos here. Note that there’s a shift away to more neutral language from “cruelty-free” to “animal test-free.” Unlike the Leaping Bunny program, PETA offers certification options for brands that are animal test-free AND vegan (the combination of which, by PETA’s definition, is considered truly cruelty-free).
We’ll have more info on vegan claims in just a sec. But before we get to that, note that the cruelty-free and animal test-free claims can vary by market based on testing requirements. Since animal testing is not required in the U.S., brands that choose not to engage in the practice are entitled to market their products as cruelty-free here. On the other hand, China has historically been a market that requires animal testing and brands that sold products there were not truly cruelty-free or animal test-free. However, newer regulation in May 2021 has made some exemptions to these requirements.
Vegan / 100% Vegan
This globally-recognized Vegan.org certification indicates that products do not contain any ingredients derived from animals or animal by-products AND that they have not been tested on animals. Common ingredients from animals include keratin, lanolin, collagen, beeswax, honey, and carmine (usually found in makeup products).
Although this certification indicates no animal testing was performed, cruelty-free, animal test-free, and vegan are not interchangeable terms. Their definition depends on the certifying body. A product or brand can be either vegan (doesn’t contain ingredients from animals), cruelty-free (i.e., it wasn’t tested on animals), or both.
For example, L’Oreal offers vegan products but allows all of its products to be tested on animals. So while some products may be vegan, it is not a vegan or cruelty-free brand. Honest Beauty IS a cruelty-free brand but only some of its products are vegan.
Versed Skincare, Krave Beauty, Biossance, and e.l.f Cosmetics are all vegan and cruelty-free brands.
Finding brands and products that are both cruelty-free AND vegan can be tricky. For additional resources, you can check out the Leaping Bunny or Peta website.
USDA Organic
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues this certification on products that have 95 percent or more organic content. This means that the product has been produced through approved methods and that synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering have not been used.
This term only applies to agricultural products. The FDA does NOT define or regulate the term “organic,” as it applies to cosmetics, body care, or personal care products. But if such a product contains or is made up of agricultural ingredients, and can meet the USDA standards, it can be certified and display the seal you see here.
If a product is certified, it can receive one of 3 designations for which the seal can be displayed:
100% Organic
Organic (contains at least 95% organically-produced ingredients)
Made with Organic ingredients (contains at least 70% organically-produced ingredients + the product label can list up to three of the organic ingredients)
At less than 70% organic ingredients, products can’t use the term “organic” or use the seal, but they can list specific ingredients that are USDA-certified as being organically produced.
Brands that offer products with this certification include Juice Beauty, BioRepublic, and 100% Pure.
B-Corp Certified
This B Lab-issued certification means that a business is meeting standards of performance, accountability, and transparency across governance, workers, customers, community, and the environment. It’s a rigorous process to achieve the certification and once received, indicates a high score on social and environmental performance, a legal commitment to change corporate governance structures, and a requirement to make information on performance and impact to stakeholders public.
Beauty B-Corp brands include Dr. Bronner’s, Davines, Mustela, The Body Shop, and Beauty Counter.
Fair Trade Certified
We’ve all likely seen this symbol certifying that the manufacturing and trading processes protect workers and land on food products, especially coffee. It’s not common in beauty, but when you see it, you’ll know it’s legit. Brands that use Fair Trade certified ingredients include The Body Shop, L’Occitane, and Acure Organics.
Recyclable
These ubiquitous symbols means that the packaging is recyclable. Sometimes, the first logo might be accompanied by language that states “100% PCR” (PCR refers to Post-Consumer Recycled material) and it is implied with or without that language. The second logo is issued by the Europe-based Green Dot organization and entails the same. You’ll see both in the U.S., although the first is more common.
Recommended for Skin-Cancer
The Skin Cancer Foundation issues seals of recommendation for sunscreen products (which are considered Over-The-Counter drugs and are regulated by the FDA). These products already meet FDA testing requirements, but the seal indicates that the product data and testing results also meet the Foundation’s criteria for sun protection. Note that these seals are only issued to individual products, and not brands as a whole. You can search for products with this seal here.
Recommended for Eczema
The National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance indicates that a product meets its internal criteria for being eczema-safe. This criteria is based mostly on its own list of irritants. Like many of the certifications here, it’s up to a brand to decide if the seal on a particular product will have marketing appeal (it definitely seems to lend credibility to already gentle formulas like CeraVe Healing Ointment or Aveeno Eczema Therapy Itch Relief Balm). A product directory of products with this seal is available here.
Fragrance-Free
No logo here, but we’re listing it as it does follow some FDA guidelines. We’ve covered this in two, yes TWO, in-depth issues on the role of fragrance in skincare and labeling requirements — check out part 1 and part 2. But in case you need a refresher — this claim does follow certain FDA guidelines and means that no fragrance materials (synthetic or natural) or masking scents are used in the product. However, the guideline can be circumvented by listing essential oils or aroma ingredients as individual ingredients instead of grouping them together under the umbrella of “fragrance” or “parfum.” In other words, a product can be labeled as fragrance-free but still contain fragrance ingredients if they are listed out as individual ingredients used for another function, such as being a solvent. Some countries use claims like free-from fragrance, free-from synthetic fragrances, etc. The final label claims are determined by local market regulation.
What’s Not Legit
Vegetarian
While we rarely see the above Vegetarian Society logos or certifications, we wanted to be as comprehensive as possible. The first logo indicates products free from any ingredient resulting in animal slaughter and is GMO-free (it allows free-range eggs, however). The second ‘vegan’ logo is stricter and indicates a product being free from any animal-derived ingredients and is GMO-free.
Vegetarian products without these seals may not contain ingredients that were part of an animal but they CAN contain ingredients that were created by an animal (like egg whites, honey, and beeswax).
This Vegan society issued symbol above is not as common as the official one.
EWG Certified
This Environmental Working Group (EWG) seal indicates that a product avoids EWG’s ingredients of concern, provides full transparency, and uses good manufacturing practices. These “ingredients of concern” include parabens, triclosan, triclocarban, animal-derived ingredients, and phthalates. Products with this seal also have to meet criteria in EWG’s “restricted” list of ingredients that have been banned or restricted by the U.S., international government agencies or public health bodies such as the World Health Organization.
The trouble with this seal is that many of the ingredients deemed unsafe by the EWG are considered safe for cosmetic use in the U.S. and have been used by the industry for decades. This organization has also come under fire for fear-mongering and misinformation in the beauty and personal care industry. If you want to find out why, The Ecowell blog explains it well.
Green Lab Certification
Heads-up — this logo is less common on product packaging and more on web pages or other marketing material. We’ve definitely seen it at brands like Biossance. Issued by a non-profit organization called My Green Lab, this certification targets laboratory sustainability best practices aimed at responsible usage of energy, waste, and water.
Non-official Symbols
Some manufacturers create non-official symbols which brands can select from and tack onto product packaging to appear more legit. If you see any of this language or associated symbols, walk away. These include:
Natural
Not Tested on Animals
Green
Paraben-free
Formulated With Organic Ingredients
Made with Natural Ingredients
Dermatologist-Recommended
The Logo-Free, Just-Marketing Ones
Hypoallergenic
Like many of the claims in this section, this is not FDA defined or regulated. Brands use this term to indicate that the product may lead to fewer adverse or severe reactions than similar products, and this claim does not need to be substantiated in the U.S. Other markets like the E.U., however do require evidence that a product is hypoallergenic to allow the claim. But without any regulation or reputable organization to define it, it’s pretty arbitrary and up to the brand to use as it chooses.
Non-Toxic
This term is meant to convey that a product doesn’t contain certain ingredients that are perceived to be or may have scant evidence of being linked to neuro-disruption, hormone disruption, or cancer. But without any regulation or reputable organization to define it, this claim is also pretty meaningless.
Non-Comedogenic / Non-Acnegenic
Like oil-free, this claim targets those with acne or blemish-prone skin. According to Google, the definition here is “denoting a skin-care product or cosmetic that is specially formulated so as not to cause blocked pores.” The FDA does not define the term or regulate its use, and the methodology and studies used to determine comedogenicity aren’t standardized. That said, brands that make this claim in the U.S. do so with clinical and safety testing to support. However, It is not a claim that’s accepted in other markets and many brands are re-assessing its usage.
Side note: While an entire product may not necessarily be non-comedogenic, specific ingredients CAN be non-comedogenic (like grapeseed or sunflower oil) and others can be comedogenic (e.g. coconut oil). So, it takes a little bit of ingredient education and understanding your skin to understand what works. But a generic claim won’t necessarily help you here.
Natural
Unlike “organic,” this term is not regulated at all. It can mean that some natural ingredients have been used in the formula but it can still contain up to 30% synthetic ingredients.
Oil-Free
The definition of “oil” can vary from company to company and most go with one that is approved internally by their Legal team. For instance, if a company defines oils as being only fats, fatty acids, and triglycerides at room temperature, then silicones, esters, ethers, waxes, butters, and other ingredients that are oils by another definition, oil derivatives, or have you attributes might not be considered an oil.
So why use it at all? Well, the claim is usually meant to indicate a product that might be better tolerated by those with oily or acne-prone skin. The history behind this marketing claim is pretty interesting — read this blog post on how oil-free became “a thing” for more info.