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 Did you ever wonder what "hypoallergenic" means?
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filthy
SFN Die Hard

USA
14408 Posts

Posted - 05/27/2004 :  03:07:14  Show Profile Send filthy a Private Message
Well, I never did either. But as so many of these things go, I found it out by accident. Like so many terms in common use, it apparently means nothing.

Found this at Randi's site:

quote:
Health Canada has not set any standards that a "hypoallergenic" product is supposed to meet. The US Food and Drug Administration says, "There are no federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term hypoallergenic. The term hypoallergenic means whatever a particular company wants it to mean."

The cosmetics industry told us it has been trying for years to establish exactly what hypoallergenic means. But that would force companies to ensure that they meet such a standard. One company we talked to said that would lead to higher prices for cosmetics.


http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/microscope/micro_2000/hypoallergenic.html

Caveate emptor, eh?


"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)

"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres


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Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,

and Crypto-Communist!

Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26022 Posts

Posted - 05/27/2004 :  19:56:28   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message
Thanks for posting this, filthy. I meant to, but it slipped my mind.

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
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Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
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Renae
SFN Regular

543 Posts

Posted - 05/29/2004 :  06:02:52   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Renae a Private Message
It's good for people to know that, filthy.

As someone whose skin reacts to a lot of things, I read a lot about cosmetics and ingredients. To be fair, is it possible to label something "non-allergenic"? That would mean it causes an allergy in no one, right? Everyone is different, and any ingredient can cause an allergy in someone.

If I remember correctly, most allergic reactions come from fragrances added to cosmetics. So if a product is labeled fragrance-free or hypoallergenic, I'll put it higher on my list of products to try, knowing my skin could still react.

A good site for cosmetic stuff is www.cosmeticscop.com. Paula Begoun has written several books that are excellent sources on which products are the most irritating--and more specifically, which ingredients are likely to irritate your skin. Surprisingly, she says lines like Origins--which is marketed as natural and good for sensitive skin--are even more irritating than other lines.

Can either of youze guys explain on the difference between sensitive skin and an actual allergic reaction? Seems to be an important distinction but I don't fully understand it.
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