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Claims should not mislead consumers and they should not attribute to a product properties or functions that the product does not possess. The rules for the use of claims for cosmetics are laid down in the European Claims Regulation (EU) No. 655/2013.
The claims regulation sets out six general criteria for justifying claims:
These general criteria leave much room for individual interpretation. To provide guidance in this respect, the European Commission has drawn up a guideline: the 'Technical document on cosmetic claims'. This guideline contains examples that, based on the general criteria from the claims regulation, are worked out on a case-by-case basis. The document is a tool for national authorities and economic operators to assess whether the use of specific claims is permitted.
As of July 1, 2019, the appendices below from the guideline should be used as a starting point when evaluating claims:
This requirement may cause claims that were previously used on your products and were allowed to be disallowed.
Annex III provides guidelines for evaluating ""Free from"" claims. The following claims have been determined to be no longer permitted for use:
Annex IV provides guidelines for evaluating ""Hypoallergenic"" claims. These claims may be used only when every effort has been made in the development of a cosmetic product to minimize its allergenic potential. This means:
Also, the use of the claim "hypoallergenic" does not guarantee the complete absence of the risk of allergic reaction. The product must not give the impression that it does.
Do you need help determining what claims are allowed on your cosmetic products? Précon Quality Services can assist you with this. Please contact us at +31 (0)30 - 65 66 010 or info@precongroup.com. You will then receive our free quote for substantive advice.
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