Our bathroom shelves and cabinets are overflowing with products. While picking up new products is the easy part. The hard part is what’s really important. Have you ever taken the time to read the labels on those products? Cosmetic products, skincare and body care products have a lot of *important* information printed on their labels. And no I’m not talking about the price! Want to know if they’re cruelty-free or when they expire? Check out the product label.
But , the hard part is trying to figure out what some of these packaging symbols mean?…Keep reading to find out!
PERIOD AFTER OPENING (POA)
There are currently no regulations requiring cosmetic companies in the U.S. to label shelf life, however European standards require that any product with a shelf life of less than 30 months be labeled with a “best used by” date. For products lasting longer than 30 months, the product must have a “period after opening” symbol. This is shown by a jar with the lid off, and a number. This indicates how long the product is good for, in terms of months, after it’s been opened. If you’re like me, you’ve pulled an old dusty face product out from the depths of your makeup bag having no idea if you can still use it. Old products can cause breakouts and skin irritation, the opposite of what you want!
This date tells you how long your product will last for after you open it. A sealed product may be good for 36 months, but once you open it – it’s shelf life decreases. The PAO date is depicted by a symbol of an open jar with a number written on the jar.There are currently no regulations requiring cosmetic companies in the U.S. to label shelf life, however European standards require that any product with a shelf life of less than 30 months be labeled with a “best used by” date. For products lasting longer than 30 months, the product must have a “period after opening” symbol. This is shown by a jar with the lid off, and a number. This indicates how long the product is good for, in terms of months, after it’s been opened. If you’re like me, you’ve pulled an old dusty face product out from the depths of your makeup bag, and you have no idea if you can still use it. Old products can cause breakouts and skin irritation, which is the opposite of what you want!
Tip: label the date you open something for the first time so you can know when to keep it, and when to toss it out!
ESTIMATED SYMBOL
The Estimated Symbol (or E symbol for short) is used to show that the product is filled using “average fill system”. Shown in grams or milliliters, this basically means you get “X” amount of product advertised. You want to get what you pay for! The E symbol would be placed directly after the amount indicated on the container.
The “e” sign in lowercase is a sign commonly used across the EU countries. It basically refers to an estimated sign that tells you the average quantity of product in a batch will not be less than the quantity stated on the label.
GREEN DOT
Green dot is used to show that the manufacturer pays to recover and recycle the product. This is the product you DEFINITELY want to recycle. Although the symbol is trademarked worldwide, the recovery program is currently only in Europe. This should be placed alongside other symbols, and is not to replace the recyclable symbol, which indicates what products are to be recycled.
FLAMMABLE
This one is obvious, but if the product has the possibility to go up in flames, definitely make sure it’s indicated on the packaging. Don’t use near an open flame, or expose to high heat! This is not the product to use while you are lighting your favorite candle, you don’t want those precious locks to catch flame when you break out that can of hairspray.
RESIN IDENTIFICATION
Usually seen on plastics, the SPI (Society of the Plastics Industry) resin identification coding system is used to identify polymer types when recycling. This is very important when labeling packaging because just one wrong item could potentially ruin a batch during the recycling process. Plastics are recycled according to the resin type, and the recyclables are either hand sorted, or done through a process of shredding and separating through air or liquid density separation. Plastics must be sorted according to this system in order for the final product to be usable.
LEAPING BUNNY, PETA BUNNY, CRUELTY FREE BUNNIES
This symbol marks that a product has not been tested on animals, bunnies don’t wear lipstick! It pledges that the product is cruelty-free to a standard set by The Leaping Bunny Program. A company is authorized to use the symbol when they take a pledge that none of it’s products or their suppliers use animal testing at any phase in development and production, as well as commit to not doing so in the future.
PETA BUNNY
No bunnies (or other animals) were harmed in the making of this product! PETA is an organization that fights for animal rights and safety, and will certify a company as being cruelty-free. Once this is done, the company has the opportunity to license the PETA Bunny logo.
Leaping Bunny
The Leaping Bunny symbol tells you that the brand does not perform testing on animals and conforms to the standard set by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) and Cruelty Free International (CFI). There is a different vegan version of the logo stating that the products are vegan!
More Versions of the Bunnies
Does The Company Recycle?
The green dot symbol is used on products and it tells you that the company is doing its bit to recycle and be ecologically responsible.
Refer To Insert For Further Information
RECYCLED SYMBOLS
This is basically more information on the product. This happens a lot of times when companies don’t want to overcrowd the label by putting lots of information on it. The symbol is a hand pointing to a book and is often in the bottom left corner of the label. You can peel out the label and read more about the ingredients, product warnings etc.Made With Recycled Materials
The universal symbol for recycling is depicted by 3 arrows in the shape of a triangle pointing towards one another. It indicates that the product/packaging has been made using recycled materials.
According to a Zero Waste Week report in 2018, the global cosmetics industry produces over 120 billion units of packaging each year. Many of our beloved beauty buys are packaged in materials that can’t be put in the roadside recycling bin.
As long as your bottles are empty, clean and dry, and show the recycling symbol they are suitable for your recycling bin.
VEGAN SYMBOLS
Distributed and recognized globally, the Certified Vegan Logo is a registered trademark, similar in nature to the kosher mark, for products that do not contain animal products or byproducts and that have not been tested on animals. The certified logo is easily visible to consumers interested in vegan products and helps vegans to shop without constantly consulting ingredient lists. It also helps companies recognize a growing vegan market, as well as bringing the word Vegan—and the lifestyle it represents—into the mainstream.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), is a non-profit organization that sets certain high standards to make sure that forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible and socially beneficial manner. If a product, like a piece of tropical hardwood patio furniture, is labeled as “FSC Certified,” it means that the wood used in the product and the manufacturer that made it met the requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council.
3 types of FSC Certified
- FSC 100 percent: Products come from FSC-certified forests.
- FSC recycled: The wood or paper in a product comes from reclaimed material.
- FSC mixed: A mix means at least 70 percent of the wood in a product comes from FSC-certified or recycled material; while 30 percent is made of controlled wood.
Now that you know what your cosmetic labels mean, you’ll never have to worry about using an old or expired product again! 
You will never have to purchase a product that tests on animals, which we no longer do here in the US, but China still does! And you can figure out which product packaging is made with recycled plastic, and paper. And, how you can recycle your bottles and boxes! Luxury Makeup is hard, because the luxury lies in the packaging of the product. So ask before you buy! Refillable products are getting more popular.
