Walk down any drugstore aisle and the bottles are practically shouting at you. Antibacterial. Hypoallergenic. Organic. Clinically proven. FDA approved.
Those words are there for one reason: They sound official, and official sounds worth paying for. Some of them really are regulated. Others have no federal definition at all, and at least one was used to sell ingredients the government has since pulled from consumer soaps.
I’ve been writing about money for more than 35 years, and the oldest trick in retail is charging extra for a word. Here are five label claims you can stop paying for — and what to look for instead.
1. ‘Antibacterial’
This one comes straight from the government. The Food and Drug Administration says there isn’t enough evidence that store-bought antibacterial soaps do a better job of keeping you from getting sick than ordinary soap and water.
The FDA went further than shrugging.
Under a final rule issued in 2016, 19 active ingredients — triclosan and triclocarban among them — can no longer be sold in consumer antiseptic washes. In other words, some of what people were buying for extra protection is gone from the shelf.
Three ingredients weren’t covered by that rule: benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride and chloroxylenol. According to the FDA, their makers are still running new studies and submitting safety and effectiveness data.
One more thing to know: The rule doesn’t apply to hand wipes, hand sanitizers or the antibacterial soaps used in hospitals and other health-care settings. This is about the stuff on your bathroom sink.
The FDA’s advice is simple. Wash with plain soap and water. As Dr. Theresa Michele of the FDA put it, “We can’t advise this enough. It’s simple, and it works.”
What to do instead: Flip the bottle over. If your soap or body wash carries a drug facts panel, the FDA says, it contains antibacterial ingredients. Skip those and buy the cheapest plain soap your family likes.
The FDA says handwashing is one of the best ways to keep germs from spreading.
2. ‘Hypoallergenic’
If you have sensitive skin, this word feels like a promise. It isn’t one.
According to the FDA, no federal standard or definition governs “hypoallergenic” on cosmetics. Each company decides for itself what it means. Manufacturers don’t have to send the FDA any proof that their products actually cause fewer reactions.
The agency even notes that the word may carry real sales value at the store, while dermatologists say it means very little. Translation: The value is in the marketing, not the bottle.
It’s not just lotions, either. The same word gets stretched to sell pet products and even pets, and there are good reasons to think twice before buying a hypoallergenic dog.
What to do instead: If a specific ingredient bothers you, learn its name and look for it on the ingredient list. Ask your dermatologist which ingredients to avoid. That’s a real filter. A word on the front of the box isn’t.
3. ‘Organic’ on cosmetics
On food, “organic” has teeth. On shampoo and face cream, it’s a lot softer than you’d think.
The FDA doesn’t define “organic” for cosmetics like lotions and shampoos.
Instead, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program defines it and certifies farm-grown ingredients. A so-called organic cosmetic still has to meet the FDA’s safety and labeling rules, and the FDA says organic ingredients aren’t automatically safer.
The seal itself has rules. Under USDA organic regulations, a product needs at least 95% organic ingredients (not counting water and salt) to carry it.
One labeled “made with organic ingredients,” at 70% or more, can’t show the seal. Under 70%, “organic” can’t appear on the main front panel at all.
What to do instead: If organic matters to you, look for the USDA Organic seal and ignore every other version of the word. No seal? Assume you’re paying for the word, and compare it against the plain version on price alone.
Before you go — I write this newsletter the way I’d talk to a friend over coffee: honest, plain, and out to make you richer, not to sell you something. Sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter. Free forever, and easy to quit if I ever bore you.
4. ‘Clinically proven’
Here’s a phrase that sounds like it came from a lab. Sometimes it came from the marketing department.
In December 2014, the Federal Trade Commission settled charges with marketers of skin and diet products.
According to the FTC, the ads promised clinical proof that one supplement would take off a lot of weight, and that a body lotion would trim up to an inch off your measurements in two weeks.
These weren’t bargain-bin products. According to the FTC, one company sold a one-ounce bottle of face lotion for $85. The two settlements required payments of $402,338 (plus the proceeds from selling four Texas homes) and $12,675.
Jessica Rich, then director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, summed it up: “The common thread for all of these claims was the fundamental lack of scientific evidence.”
Going forward, one order requires solid, reliable science behind similar claims, and weight-loss claims need controlled human studies to back them up. That’s the bar the phrase is supposed to clear. According to the FTC, these ads didn’t.
What to do instead: Treat “clinically proven” as advertising until you see the study. Ask who ran it, how many people were in it and what it actually measured. If the company won’t say, you have your answer.
5. ‘FDA approved’ on cosmetics and supplements
This is the label that’s supposed to settle every argument. On a lot of products, it doesn’t mean what you think.
The FDA says that it doesn’t approve cosmetics. Their ingredients (other than certain colors) and their labels don’t need FDA approval either.
Dietary supplements are similar. The FDA doesn’t approve supplements for safety, effectiveness or labeling before they hit the shelf. The companies selling them are responsible for making sure they’re safe and labeled accurately.
The FDA also says that vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements aren’t approved by the agency to prevent or treat disease. That’s worth remembering, especially since some popular ones are now raising questions — see the supplements scientists now suspect could hurt your aging brain.
What to do instead: When you see “FDA approved” on a moisturizer or a bottle of supplements, treat it as a red flag.
The FDA doesn’t approve those products, so the claim can’t mean what the label implies. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether you need the supplement at all before you start comparing brands.
The bottom line
Notice the pattern? Every one of these words is designed to make you feel safer, and feeling safer is something people happily pay extra for.
The fix is the same every time. Ignore the front of the package, read the back and buy the plain version unless someone can prove the fancy one is worth it.
If you want more ways to stop wasting money at the store, here are products you absolutely don’t need and things you should stop buying, plus smarter alternatives.
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