Decoding the language of beauty labels

As a personal care brand, you want to get everything spot-on: maintaining cosmetic compliance while appealing to your customers with exemplary skincare and haircare formulations. At Hera Beauty, we’re here to help.

Packaging choices shouldn’t be overlooked or left as an afterthought. As your private label beauty manufacturer, we’re on hand to assist you with your product labels - ensuring they’re clear, compliant, and informative. After all, used correctly, they enable consumers to understand ingredients, decide which products match their beauty goals, and make informed choices that align with their values.

Labelling considerations

Remember that your packaging often provides the very first brand impression. It can help consumers decide whether or not to buy a product. However, it’s important to know that not only does inadequate labelling limit your marketing potential, but breaching regulations can result in legal implications - such as fines or sanctions - and damage your brand’s reputation.

So, what do you need to think about? Labels must be easy to read and understand, and shouldn’t include misleading claims about the formulation’s efficacy. If the product is small and the ingredients list long, you might need to add extra information to a separate label, leaflet, or card, which can be enclosed or attached. 

The design elements of the label, such as colours and logos, are important for branding and differentiation from competitors. But the text is just as important. There are certain regulatory requirements (which we’ll cover below), and you might also want to include more about your brand story to attract customers.

What should be included on a label?

There are certain elements you must include on your cosmetics packaging in order to adhere to UK legislation. If you plan to sell your cosmetics in countries outside of the UK, then you will need to follow the labelling requirements of those countries too. We are happy to advise on this, so just ask one of our experts.

Core components include:

●       Product name and description: It’s vital you explain exactly what the product is and its intended use, so consumers are clear on what they are purchasing. For example, the label should state whether it is a moisturiser, cleanser, or sunscreen and the function it fulfils.

●       Directions for use: However obvious it might seem, there needs to be clarification on directions for use so there’s no ambiguity. Clear usage instructions - such as where to apply, how much to use, and the frequency of application - ensure the formulation remains effective and safe.

●       Warnings and precautions: Remember to include warnings on your cosmetics packaging if they could cause damage following incorrect use. Highlight feasible risks, such as: ‘Avoid contact with eyes’ or ‘For external use only’.

●       Responsible person: Beauty product labels must include the Responsible Person's name and address to ensure safety measures are followed. This is the company or individual responsible for placing the product on the market. Responsibilities include knowing and recording active ingredients and restrictions, keeping an up-to-date Product Information File (PIF), and being able to prove marketing claims.

●       List of ingredients: The ingredients list is perhaps the most crucial part of the label. It must follow the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) naming conventions. For example, purified water has the INCI name of ‘Aqua’, while fragrance is ‘Parfum’. Botanical extracts use the Latin names followed by the common name in brackets, so sunflower oil would be described as ‘Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil’. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, meaning the first few make up the majority of the formula.

●       Net quantity of contents: You should show the amount of product in the package, which can be expressed in weight for solids or volume for liquids. The e-mark, placed next to the nominal quantity, shows that you’ve complied with European laws for average weight and filling quantity.

●       Expiration date: Beauty products normally use the Date of Minimum Durability (DMD) if less than 30 months or a Period After Opening (PAO). The PAO symbol is an open jar with a number (such as 12M), which shows the product is safe for that number of months after opening. Sometimes, an egg timer symbol may be used to show a ‘best before’ date. All Hera formulations have passed 12 weeks of stability testing for a 30-month shelf life, meaning that an expiry date is not required on the product labels.

●       Batch Number: This unique number allows the manufacturer to trace the product back to a specific production run. It’s crucial for quality control and product recalls, if necessary.

●       Country of origin: This is important to include if the product is imported into the EU. Some regions require disclosure of where the product was manufactured to add transparency and reassure consumers of standards.

Other beauty credentials

The label offers a great opportunity to showcase other credentials that align with your brand values, such as highlighting claims like ‘paraben-free’ or ‘cruelty-free’. There is no legal definition for ‘hypoallergenic’, but you may want to include dermatological testing information on your labels for transparency and to boost consumer confidence. Words like ‘natural’ and ‘green’ have positive connotations, but aren’t regulated by a specific standard. There is a lot of ambiguity around organic and environmental credentials.

To back up claims, you might want to gain certifications from credible third-party organisations. In the UK, the Soil Association provides organic certification with its COSMOS-standard. The leaping bunny logo of Cruelty Free International shows that the product and its ingredients have not been tested on animals, while the vegan-friendly logo indicates that the product has been certified by The Vegan Society.

If the packaging you use has its own recycling mark embossed into the base, then you are not required to put anything extra on the label. The recycle symbol generally indicates that packaging can be recycled, but it doesn’t go into details about how and where.

In summary

A beauty product’s label is more than just branding - it’s a legal guide designed to help consumers make safe and informed choices. As a leading UK skincare manufacturer, we want to help our partners produce labels that are informative, compliant with regulations, and appealing to customers.

Hera Beauty’s mission is to make launching a cosmetic brand as easy as possible. Our team has extensive knowledge and expertise, and we work closely with every client, guiding you each step of the way. Want to find out more? Book a 1-to-1 meeting to see how we can help you achieve your goals.