Wax and Bubbles

Learning to decipher labels can be difficult but you need to learn the lingo on some skin care products in order to buy the perfect product for your particularly skin type. Here are some phrases used on some of the most popular skin care products out on the market, do you know what they actually mean?

• Dermatologist Tested: You think it means, a skin specialist found the product to be effective and nonirritating.

A large scale study on carefully selected, randomized volunteers will have been carried out. Such meaningful testing is the norm for big brands such as Olay, Neutrogena, L’Oreal, and Vichy, which tested its Nutrilogie 2 Intensive Nourishing Moisturizer Cream on 114 women in four countries. Other tip-offs that the derma-tested claim is valid: The package insert may elaborate on the role the doctor played in testing the product, or the company may promote its relationship with a particular dermatologist.

• Fragrance Free: You think it means, the product is unscented and won’t irritate skin.

Companies are aware that it’s usually women prone to fragrance sensitivities who show for these products, so those containing any form of fragrance will have undergone a battery of safety checks to ensure that they don’t irritate or cause allergic reactions. One company that goes above and beyond this standard is Almay, which doesn’t use fragrances or masking agents in either its skin care or makeup lines. Still, despite a product’s label, it’s always a good idea to check for ingredients you know for previous experience might upset your skin,

• Hypoallergenic: You think it means, products labeled this way aren’t as likely to cause allergic reactions.

No reputable company would ever release an allergic product, which is why it’s best to purchase brands that you know and trust. Certain ones, such as Clinique and Dove, have built reputations on avoiding allergenic ingredients and testing for sensitivity-the claim is part of their heritage and its reflected in their marketing. Clinique, for example, uses the term allergy test in it tagline- and every Clinique product is, in fact, tested multiple times on 600+ people. If even one person has a reaction, the product isn’t released.

• Noncomedogenic: You think it means, it won’t clog pores, which can lead to blackheads and whiteheads (comedones, in medical speak) and acne.

Reputable companies always test final products not just individual ingredients-for comedogenicity in controlled trials. A trained technician will examine panelists’ skin and count their existing blemishes. After testers use the product as specified, their skin, is reexamined. If there’s a dramatic increase in pimples, the company either won’t release the product or won’t make the noncomedogenic claim. Even with the claim, there’s always a chance that a product will cause you to break out; if this happens, stop using it and switch to a different product.

• Oil Free: You think it means, there’s no oil in the product to make skin greasy or clog pores.

It’s virtually impossible to formulate cosmetics without oil-like ingredients-they’re often used to give products a silky feel or to bind ingredients together. So if your skin is acne-prone, it’s wiser to choose a noncomedogenic product over one labeled oil free. (Source: Prevention 2008)