Consumers are familiar with ingredients like retinol (vitamin C), retinol (vitamin E), and collagen peptides. We believe that the products will have some type of benefit for our skin when we see them on packaging.
Scientists have published research showing the ingredients’ effectiveness, and science doesn’t lie, right?
It’s true that science doesn’t lie, but sometimes packaging does.
As consumers have become more savvy and demand more information from brands, transparency has improved for many brands. But other brands have changed the way they describe ingredients. This misleading practice is called “fairy dusting”It has thrived because of a lackluster marketing strategy and poor oversight.
Beauty and personal care have been booming. Already In 2022, the industry was worth $534 billion. The projections for the future of the skincare sector are increasing each year. Consumers must be educated to ensure that their money goes towards quality products and not marketing scams.
RELATED: I’m A 50+ Beauty Editor, And I Saw Results In Just Two Minutes With This Popular Microcurrent Device
What is Skincare Fairy Dusting?
Fairy dusting refers to brands listing a trending ingredient on product packaging, even though the ingredient is very small. Brands will only add small quantities of high-quality ingredients to their product packaging before putting them on the ingredient list.
You can also advertise the effectiveness of the ingredients even though they are unlikely to be sufficient to reap the benefits.
How can brands get away with it?
Fairy dusting is certainly unethical, and it’s not exactly legal. But oversight is a concern.
The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t approve cosmetics before they’re brought to market. Rather, the agency is responsible for regulating products after they’re already being sold.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act DoesInterdiction “the marketing of adulterated or misbranded cosmetics in interstate commerce.” Fairy dusting would certainly fall under misbranding, which according to the FD&C Act, “refers to violations involving improperly labeled or deceptively packaged products.”A cosmetic can be misbranded if it isn’t. “its labeling is false or misleading.”
Enforcement is the catch. The FDA has the option to take legal action against the Department of Justice and federal courts in order to get misbranded cosmetics removed from the market. But that’s not an easy process, and misbranding may not top the agency’s list of to-dos: “FDA takes regulatory action based upon agency priorities, consistent with public health concerns and available resources,” according to FDA.gov.
Fairy Dusting: How to Avoid
Ingredients are listed from highest to lowest concentration on labels, and in some cases, you’ll want to look for products where the advertised active ingredients are listed higher on the label. If the product lists the ingredient’s concentration you can do a little of your own due diligence (i.e. Googling) to make sure it’s an effective amount.
But not all ingredients adhere to the top-to bottom rule. For example, Retinol can be effective in lower concentrations. It is important to verify the effective concentrations of any ingredient you are looking for.
RELATED: ‘Skincare Fasting’Experts Say This Is A Hot Beauty Trend But It’s Not a Good Idea To Give Up.
Research the brands you are using to avoid being accused of fairy dusting. Check out the product’s website to see if they have performed any clinical studies and what those results found. Remember that just because a product is more expensive doesn’t always mean that it will be more effective. And be cautious of brands that don’t list specific concentrations on their products.
You should also be wary of products with scientific claims. If the product promises to improve your skin, it is important to be cautious. “cellular level”That might cause some suspicion. Cosmetics that claim to do certain things would need FDA approval before being sold or marketed. There are medical-grade skincare products that you can buy from your dermatologist’s office, which can save you the headache of figuring out which products will actually work.
Fairy dusting is one more reminder that it’s important to know what you’re putting on your skin, and knowing these sneaky marketing tricks will help you become a more conscious consumer—and save money in the long run.