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alcohol free
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| LABEL REPORT CARD |
| How meaningful is the label? |
Is the label verified? |
Is the meaning of the label consistent? |
Are the label standards publicly available? |
Is information about the organization publicly available? |
Is the organization free from conflict of interest? |
Was the label developed with broad public and industry input? |
| Not |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No1 |
No |
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1. The producer or manufacturer decides whether to use the claim and is not free from its own self-interest.
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LABEL CATEGORY:
General Claims |
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WHERE YOU'LL FIND THIS GENERAL CLAIM:
 PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS
BABY PRODUCTS
BATH PRODUCTS
EYE CARE PRODUCTS
EYE MAKEUP PRODUCTS
FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS
FRAGRANCE PRODUCTS
HAIR CARE PRODUCTS
MAKEUP PRODUCTS (NOT FOR EYE)
MANICURING PRODUCTS
ORAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS
SHAVING PRODUCTS
SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
SUN PRODUCTS
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WHAT THIS GENERAL CLAIM MEANS:
There is no government or official definition for this term.
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WHO VERIFIES THIS GENERAL CLAIM?
There is no organization behind this claim other than the company manufacturing or marketing the product.
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CONSUMERS UNION EVALUATION:
How meaningful is the label?
The alcohol free label is not meaningful and potentially misleading to consumers. Alcohol free is a general claim that should imply that a product contains no alcohol. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that manufacturers have used the term "alcohol free" on cosmetic products that are only ethyl alcohol free. However, there are several types of alcohol that could be found in cosmetic products labeled "alcohol free." The skin and eye irritant effects that have been associated with ethyl alcohol have also been has been demonstrated by other types of alcohol found in cosmetics such as benzyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol. Consumers purchasing products labeled "alcohol free" should check the ingredient list to make sure that the product is truly free from any alcohol (hint: in general, ingredients that end in "-ol" are likely to be some kind of alcohol).
Foods, drugs, and cosmetics are required to list their ingredients (with a few exceptions, such as fragrances in cosmetics), but household cleaning products are not required to disclose their ingredients (except for disinfectants or other ingredients considered to be antimicrobial pesticides).
Is the label verified?
No. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the regulatory authority given by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics (FD&C) Act, can take action on products it deems “misbranded” (misleading to consumers) or adulterated (contaminated and potentially unsafe) after such products have already been marketed. However, FDA has not defined the term, and without any formal definition of “alcohol free” it would be difficult for the FDA to take action against manufactures making such claims.
Is the meaning of the label consistent?
No, alcohol free could mean something different on each cosmetic product.
Are the label standards publicly available?
No, there are no standards for this label.
Is information about the organization publicly available?
No, there is no standards making organization for this label.
Is the organization free from conflict of interest?
No. There is no organization independently certifying this claim. The producer or manufacturer decides whether to use the claim and is not free from its own self-interest.
Was the label developed with broad public and industry input?
No.
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LINKS FOR MORE INFO:
eco-labels.org
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