Of all the confusion in the beauty aisle, organic and natural products might be the worst offenders. "FDA requirements say you only have to use 20 percent natural ingredients to say that a product is natural," explains Tyler Hanson, founder of Mineral Hygienics. "So the other 80 percent? Who knows?" If it's important to you that your makeup is truly organic, make sure the label specifies that the contents are "USDA-certified organic." And research the products through organizations like the Natural Products Association and
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
You may also want to consider whether or not natural is the best thing for you. "Just because something is organic or natural doesn't mean it won't irritate your skin," says Tanzi. "Lemon and orange oil are two of the most common irritants found in beauty products -- and that's true even if they're organic." If you have allergies, always do a patch test on the inside of your wrist before slathering an organic cream on your face.
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"Anti-aging" ingredients don't really work
So many makeup products are now calling out skin care benefits -- like anti-aging and anti-acne -- on their packaging. Unfortunately, smoothing wrinkles isn't as simple as adding a fine-line-fighting ingredient to a concealer.
"You can get anti-acne benefits from makeup that contains salicylic acid," says Tanzi. "But anti-aging ingredients? Not so much. And you're better off saving your anti-aging for nighttime anyway." (Many anti-aging ingredients are photosensitive and break down in sunlight.) While Tanzi recommends using makeup with built-in SPF to supplement your sunblock, she says that antioxidants in makeup aren't going to be particularly effective. "They're better delivered through a serum worn underneath your moisturizer," she says.
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Fragrance-free products may contain fragrances
If you don't like strong smells, fragrance-free is a great option for you. However, if you're buying fragrance-free products because you're allergic or sensitive to fragrances, you might still end up with a reaction. "A lot of companies add masking fragrances to cover the scent of other ingredients -- and the FDA doesn't require that these masking fragrances be included on the ingredient list," says Laura Verallo de Bertotto, CEO of VMV Hypoallergenics. While the term hypoallergenic means that a product has only a small chance of causing an allergic reaction, if you're prone to reacting you should always do a patch test when trying something new for the first time.
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Long-wearing is not the same as waterproof
There's something so enticing about makeup that makes time claims like "24 hour." We're all busy -- who wouldn't want makeup that could survive every obstacle we might face during the day? However, if you plan to jump in the pool while wearing your long-lasting makeup, know that it will be dripping down your face when you get out. These formulations are not the same as waterproof -- but they're perfect for someone whose eyeliner tends to be smudged by lunchtime.
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"Dermatologist tested" doesn't mean dermatologist endorsed
Just because a dermatologist tested a product doesn't mean that he or she liked the product. It's a semantic trick, and the phrase is basically meaningless.
"Oil free!"
"100 Percent Natural!"
"Long-lasting!"
Chances are you've seen these phrases on makeup labels -- and maybe you've even been persuaded to buy something because of one of these claims. Unfortunately, most of them don't mean much -- and even the ones that are technically accurate can be misleading.
That's partly because the FDA does not regulate what goes into cosmetics. And while there are guidelines for labeling, there's no review process in place. Most industry experts believe that's a good thing; if smaller brands had to jump through the FDA's countless hoops, most would never even make it to market, let alone succeed. But the lack of regulations also means that the responsibility then falls on consumers. It's our responsibility to see through the label lingo and understand what we're putting on our faces.
We talked to experts -- from dermatologists to manufacturers -- to find out what we really need to know when reading a makeup label. Most of the valuable information isn't on the front or anywhere in the product's name -- that's mostly marketing language created to get us to buy the product.
If you want to truly understand what goes into a formula, the list of ingredients is the best place to start -- and you may want to take a chemistry course before you begin. Here, we're decoding what the claims on makeup labels really mean to make it easier to understand what you're really putting on your skin.
