Big Brand Skincare’s Scary Secrets You Need to Know

Big Brand Skincare’s Scary Secrets

Multi-national skincare brands have a lot invested in their products. There’s research and development, testing, and marketing to take care of, plus manufacturing and distribution. So it’s important that they get their products to as many customers as possible. However, that often comes at a steep price.

In many cases, “big brand” skincare and beauty products may actually be harmful to your health. And even if they don’t have adverse effects, the marketing language used to sell these products may be deceptive.

Smaller, all-natural skincare companies tend to be much more transparent with their ingredients than big brands.

Skincare “Anti-Aging” is a Myth

The skincare industry wants you to think it’s discovered the fountain of youth. Every year, hundreds of “anti-aging” products make their way onto the shelves. Their claims are outrageous. They’re also false. Nothing can truly stop the aging process, but big brands are hoping their customers will believe their claims.

In reality, anti-aging products with synthetic ingredients can often have adverse effects. And this creates a feedback loop. Buy a big brand anti-aging cream that doesn’t help (or makes things worse), and then buy yet another cream to undo the effect of the first one.

You’re far better off using natural, plant-based moisturizers and skincare products than hoping a lab-made miracle cream lives up to its bold claims. All natural skincare products have been used for centuries, which means we know exactly how they affect the skin.

Big Brand Skincare’s Questionable Promises

If you see a label that says “hypoallergenic” or “fragrance-free,” you may think you know exactly what you’re buying. But that’s not always true. In fact, a September 2017 moisturizer study found that more than half contained allergens. On top of that, 45% of “fragrance-free” moisturizers contained fragrances!

When big brands claim “hypoallergenic” or “fragrance-free,” it’s just marketing. Smaller, all natural skincare brands, on the other hand, tend to be much more transparent with their ingredients: fragrances are sourced from actual essential oils and plant extracts, while the products themselves use natural oils as a base.

Don’t Count on FDA for Skincare Product Safety

You may think that cosmetics and skincare products need to go through a long regulatory process before they make their way onto store shelves. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Skincare products don’t require FDA approval, so the big brands are more or less unregulated. Lack of oversight makes it easy for questionable, and even harmful, products to end up in consumers’ hands.

Even when it comes to labeling, the big brands have figured out how to outwit the FDA. They simply have to claim that ingredient labeling would divulge a trade secret. The FDA only gets involved if consumers directly report products. But big brands don’t have to tell the FDA if consumers come to them with health complaints, so countless consumer issues may go unreported every year.

All “Organic” Skincare Products are Not Equal

When you buy organic food, you can feel pretty confident that the ingredients or products are actually organic. The FDA strictly regulates the use of the “organic” label. That means that foods that carry this label have to adhere to stringent requirements. But with skincare products, you have no such guarantee.

Any company can claim their skincare products are organic. And if they’re lying, consumers have no recourse against them. Big cosmetics brands know this, so they’ll gladly throw the word “organic” on products that are anything but. And combined with the lack of FDA oversight, this means that big-brand “organic” products may be filled with hazardous chemicals.

The big skincare brands don’t want you to know their secrets. They’re counting on the millions they spend on marketing and labeling to deceive consumers. And when the majority of buyers realize that “anti-aging” and “hypoallergenic” claims are bunk, they’ll develop another deceptive strategy.

Small-batch, all natural skincare products are often your best option for healthy skin. Avoid falling for big brand’s lies and misnomers. Make sure the products you’re using are truly natural, responsibly sourced, and actually healthy for your skin.

Article’s main photo is by Samuel Scrimshaw on Unsplash.