The cosmetics industry is booming. Thanks in large part to social media platforms, everyone wants to look amazing. Many cosmetic brands are looking to jump on the bandwagon and take advantage of this booming trend.
One of those cosmetics that stand out among all others are eye shadows and blushes.
If you’re reading this, it means one of two things: A) you currently own or run an Eye Shadow or Blush brand and are curious about how to stand out in an incredibly competitive market; B) you’re considering going into business and are curious about how to stand out from all the competition.
And it is right here, in our how-to series, that we will help you avoid beginner’s mistakes, what we are experts in labels.
Container labeling for a demanding market and regulations
The actual product you sell always remains the single most important factor in consumers buying and remaining loyal to your brand. You pull them in, however, with your cosmetic container.
That’s right, container.
Consumers are looking for brands to hold on to. Brands they can identify with and that understand their needs. They want products that are reliable, accessible, and bring them joy and value. They also want brands that are consistent in both their mission and their messaging. In short, they want a brand they can trust and this is where labeling comes into play.
Proper labeling, in addition to complying with FDA regulations, goes a long way in attracting the consumer’s attention. After all, the first thing a customer looks at before trying a product is its container and whether it is reliable or not.
Proper labeling of your product is essential to comply with FDA regulations and be able to commercialize it. Therefore, we will now mention the do’s and don’ts when labeling eye shadow and blush.
How to label eye shadow and blush: Do’s
For jumping into the specifics of designing your label for eye shadow and blush containers it is important to take into account the specifications required by the FDA, so you can include all the information while still looking good.
Include all information required by the FDA
As is well known, eye shadows and blushes are cosmetics and for the FDA this does not change, and as such, it is important to know that all cosmetics marketed in the United States, whether manufactured here or imported from abroad, must comply with the labeling requirements of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C), the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FP&L) and the regulations issued by the Food and Drug Administration under the authority of these two laws.
Label statements must appear on the primary container as well as on any outer container or wrapper, but the ingredient labeling and the net quantity of contents statement on the primary display panel only apply to the label on the outer container.
Cosmetic labeling consists of two parts: Principal Display Panel (PDP) and Information Panel (IP).
The Principal Display Panel (PDP) is the part of the label that is likely to be displayed or examined under normal display conditions for sale.
The labeling requirements for the Principal Display Panel (PDP) are:
- Product Name
- Identity Statement: a statement of identity indicating the nature and use of your product (in this case Eyeshadow and Blush), either by common or usual name, a descriptive name, or an illustration.
- Net Quantity: an accurate statement of the net quantity of the contents of your eyeshadow or blush in the package in terms of weight, measurement, numerical count, or a combination of numerical count and weight or measurement.
- Warnings and Caution Statements: if your product contains an ingredient for which adequate safety assurance has not been obtained or contains an ingredient that could be allergenic, a warning should be placed on the PDP such as “Warning: the safety of this product has not been determined.”
Information Panel (IP) refers to a panel other than the PDP that can provide cosmetic information where the consumer can see it.
The requirements for the Information Panel (IP) are:
- Directions for safe use: should disclose important data (e.g., instructions for safe use if a cosmetic product has the potential to be misused).
- Warnings: cosmetics that may be hazardous to consumers when used improperly must bear appropriate warnings on the label and adequate instructions for safe use.
- Name and place of business: this can be the manufacturer, packager or distributor, if the name and address are not those of the manufacturer, the label should say “Manufactured for…” or “Distributed by…”
- Ingredient declaration: The ingredient statement should be visible so that it can be read and understood at the time of purchase. If you do not have sufficient space for such a statement, the statement may appear on a securely attached label, tape, or card.
- Any other required information: any other information that is important to mention about the product.
Don’ts when labeling eye shadow and blush
It takes nothing more than common sense to realize that doing the opposite of good labeling practices is part of the don´ts section. To make it clear what labeling should not look like, we have added several important points.
Eyeshadow and blush mislabeled
The FD&C Act prohibits the marketing of cosmetics that are adulterated or miss labeled, as well as their adulteration or mislabeling in interstate commerce.
A container is mislabeled when:
- Labeling is false or misleading
- The label does not indicate: name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor
- Not include the net quantity of contents
- Required information is not stated prominently, conspicuously, and in terms that consumers can read and understand under normal conditions of purchase and use
- Container or its filler is misleading
- Some ingredients are not mentioned or are inconspicuous on the container. (You should use a suitable information panel and ensure that letters are not less than 1/6 inch high and that they are not hidden in the design, vignettes, or crowding.)
We hope this guide will help you to label your business products correctly, there are many more things to take into account in the labeling process, but a blog post is not enough, in The Label Shoppe we are experts in labels and we have the right solution for your needs, don’t take risks, we can help you in any project complying with the highest quality standards in labels.