Beyond ‘free from’: Ingredient safety and efficacy to shift non-toxic conversation

In 2018, more than half of European hair care product launches featured ‘free from’ claims, according to Mintel. This was closely followed by shower products with 50% featuring such claims; face colour cosmetics (liquid foundation) with more than 45%; and face and body care launches with nearly 40% ‘free from’ claims.

Free from ‘extensively used in Europe’​

Speaking to CosmeticsDesign-Europe, Margaux Caron, global beauty analyst at Mintel, said it was clear ‘free from’ claims were mostly found in daily use products or those intended for direct skin contact.

“Free-from claims have responded to consumers’ concern over harmful ingredients and have been extensively used in Europe, across many beauty and personal care categories,”​ Caron said.

Since 2015, she said ‘paraben-free’ had been the strongest ‘free from’ claim in beauty and personal care product launches across Europe, followed by ‘free from’ mineral oil, silicone and fragrance.

A post-guidance era?​

In July, this year, guidance document for making cosmetic claims​ came into force, outlining in detail the common criteria needed to make ‘free from’ claims on product.

So, would we see a reduction in ‘free from’ claims now this EU guidance had been enforced?

There would need to be a shift, Caron said: “Brands will need to move away from relying on ‘free from’ claims to showcase their clean and non-toxic credentials and will have to display the safety and efficiency of the ingredients that are actually present in the product instead.” ​

If brands communicated the non-toxicity of a product as well as the efficacy of active ingredients within it, she said industry created a “more positive stance on clean beauty”.​

“It will allow brands to earn consumers’ trust thanks to total transparency, rather than fear-mongering messaging possibly still dissimulating an opaque ingredients list.”​

Certifications to gain importance​

This “much-needed transparency”, ​Caron said, would be “eased and facilitated” ​further by trusted organisations like the non-profit Environmental Working Group with its EWG Verified certification, already being used by many in beauty and personal care.

One brand already “successfully changing the ‘non-toxic’ conversation”​, Caron said, was Henry Rose by Michelle Pfeiffer – the first EWG-certified fragrance brand.

“It displays its full ‘clean’ ingredient list behind the ingredient usually named ‘fragrance/parfum’ to ensure full transparency. Rather than ‘free from’ claims, Henry Rose uses honesty and certifications to communicate its clean credentials in a positive, expert, and trustworthy way.”​