Elegant phials, slender bottles and jars whispering: Buy me! – everything that stands on the shop shelves lures us with its tempting looks. Just combine this with stunning aroma and attractive price, and you will create a product that won’t let you leave a shop without buying it. But how not to let yourself be fooled? What should you pay attention to during shopping? What do all the symbols on cosmetic labels mean? Before you make a choice and buy a beauty product, find out how to read labels.
The most popular symbols on cosmetic labels:
Quality Control (e)
A sign that resembles small E letter means that during packaging filling the producer applied a special internal control system to make sure that packaging holds the exact amount of the product. As a consequence, the given quantity complies with the state of fact.
Green product
Two arrows creating a circle inform us that the producer takes part in the packaging recycling program developed in their country. In other words, packaging marked this way doesn’t violate pro-eco regulations.
PAO (Period After Opening)
The symbol of open jar states how long it is safe to use a particular product after the first use. Imprinted sequence of digits and letters (e.g. 12M) indicates the precise period that the cosmetic can be applied for (here: 12 months).
Safety
‘CE’ symbol proves that a cosmetic conform to the European Union regulations. This sign can be placed on a label if the producer proved that they took care of safety and health of a customer. This marking is compulsory and must be placed on a label before a product is introduced into the market.
Cruelty Free
A bunny with a black triangle as a background proves that a particular cosmetic wasn’t subjected to any testes run on animals. Frequently, this sign is replaced by BWC abbreviation that stands for Beauty Without Cruelty, or the following information Not tested on Animals.
Bar Code
This is a 13-digit code that identifies a cosmetic. The first three digits indicate a country the product was manufactured in, the remaining digits help identify the producer.
A Hand on a Book
Read Before Use symbol prompts that the packaging of cosmetic goes with an information leaflet featuring, among others, cautions concerning ingredients and instructions for use. The leaflet has to be read before the first application of a cosmetic.
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