Claims

The rules surrounding cosmetic products are very stringent and cover the manufacture, labelling, claims and safety assessment of all cosmetic products supplied to the UK and EU markets. It is a legal requirement that all claims made by brands about the benefits the product will give must be substantiated. This information is open to review by the regulating authorities, in the UK this is Trading Standards.

While a product is being developed, many trials will be carried out on an appropriate number of people to make sure the product does exactly what it says on the pack - but you don't just have to take the industry's word for it. All advertised claims made about products on the television must be pre-approved by Clearcast, who review a robust body of scientific evidence before they'll give the green light. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) can also challenge any advertisement (broadcast, print or online) and will respond to consumer complaints by reviewing the scientific evidence before passing judgment on whether the advertisement may continue.

When social media influencers review products and share this information with their followers, they must declare if they are in a commercial partnership with the brand. For example, they may label the post or video with ‘Ad’ or similar. The UK advertising regulator has published advice on this matter.