What kind of claims can be made about beauty products carried by Printify?
Our white-label beauty products offer an excellent opportunity for Printify merchants aiming to expand their store’s range with a new product category. However, it’s essential to recognize that beauty and skincare product claims are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States and similar regulatory agencies in other countries. As a result, there are specific regulations governing the types of claims permissible for a product.
Shipping of our beauty products is currently limited to customers located in the United States and Canada, and these guidelines are applicable to those markets.
In this article:
Permitted beauty and skincare claims
The FDA gives the following as examples of claims cosmetics may make:
- Cleanses skin
- Enhances beauty
- Promotes attractiveness
- Alters or reduces or minimizes the appearance of something (such as blemishes, pores, skin, etc.)
- Exfoliates
Prohibited beauty and skincare claims
A drug-like claim, such as the following examples, cannot be made about a product:
- Suggesting that the product is intended for use in the “diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.”
- A structure-function claim can be made for a dietary supplement, but not for a cosmetic.
- A structure-function claim suggests that products are “articles intended to affect the normal structure or any function of the human body.”
Additionally, besides statements explicitly claiming to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease, the FDA lists several additional ways that a company can make an illegal, implied disease claim:
| Prohibited claim | Example of a prohibited claim |
|---|---|
| A statement implying that the product or ingredient has an effect on the characteristic signs or symptoms of a disease. |
This can be as explicit as ”our Retinol Peptide Serum helps cure your redness from rosacea” or as implicit as ”our Retinol Peptide Serum removes redness in the skin.” |
| A statement that the product or ingredient is a substitute for a therapy for a disease. | Claims such as a facial exfoliator being promoted as a natural microdermabrasion treatment or vitamin E being advertised as a natural alternative to Botox. |
| A statement that the product or ingredient has a role in the body’s response to a disease. Products cannot claim to affect the body’s reaction to a disease. |
For instance, claiming ”our Snail Mucin Serum can help with the inflammation caused by acne.” |
| Citations must not contain reference to what an ingredient or product can do to treat a disease or symptom of a disease. |
Even though we say that e.g. ”studies show that retinol can help even skin tone”, you:
|
| A statement about the product or ingredient, that cites a scientific publication that refers to disease treatment. | n/a |
| A claim that in any other way suggests an effect on disease. | n/a |
FDA warns that the drug claims include:
- Claims that products reduce inflammation, regenerate cells, prevent facial muscle contractions, boost activity of genes, or give you the same results as injections or surgery.
- Promise to treat medical conditions, such as acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis.
Please keep in mind that this refers not only to the overall product but also when discussing the specific ingredients contained in the products.