Hypoallergenic – what does it mean?
June 25, 2009 by Jo · Leave a Comment
Many cosmetic and skin care companies claim that their products are hypoallergenic.
Just what does this mean?
Hypoallergenic can mean just about whatever a cosmetic company can claim for it to be.The term is not regulated by any authority in Australia and in the United States.
Literally it means hypo – meaning low and allergenic as in is likely to cause an allergic reaction. Therefore when we see this term on a product we make the assumption that the product is not going to cause an allergic reaction and is therefore free of irritating ingredients.
The consumer needs to look further at the list of ingredients in the skin care products they are choosing to buy and not making an automatic assumption that the product they are buying is not free of any irritating ingredients. This is articulary important for those with sensitive skins or those people who have an ingredient they suspect can cause them problems.
Unfortunately there are products on the market that are not deserving of the hypoallergenic label.