What is 'dermatologically tested'?
Most of us, in our lives, will have come across the term “dermatologically tested” with these two words present in many skincare products. On some unconscious level this may put our mind at ease and help us file them away in the ‘good for my skin’ category. But, according to DR ANJALI MAHTO writing for the Daily Express, whether it’s “clinically proven”, “hypoallergenic” or “dermatologically tested”, the beauty industry loves to use a lot of fancy jargon to describe everything from moisturiser to mascara and liquid hand wash too.
Cosmetic Design reports that a Which survey showed that most people don't know the actual meaning of it. The survey of 1,000 people showed that a quarter of them thought “dermatologically tested” meant the product was kind to skin, which may or may not be the case, depending on the outcome of the tests.
So, to establish the actual meaning of this much-used term, let's put some light on what dermatologically tested actually means. Put simply, when a brand claims a product is ‘dermatologically tested’ it means they’ve tested it on human skin. However, it doesn’t tell us what the tests undertaken were designed to show, or whether the product even passed them. There’s simply no industry standard or way of monitoring what ‘dermatologically tested’ means. It’s an empty promise unless the dermatologist supervising the study also certifies the product as being “dermatologically approved”
In order to achieve the “dermatologically approved” certificate, a qualified dermatologist must have examined how the skin reacts to a product and its ingredients. The test assures that the formula is safe for the skin and the finished product was well-tolerated by the people in the study.
ChooseWell uses an independent laboratory certified to ISO 9001:2015 to ensure quality of results. The methodology involves patch testing the liquid hand wash on 50 healthy adults aged 18-70. Each participant is exposed to the test and control materials on the upper, outer arms (or lower back) for two consecutive periods of approximately 23 hours over a period of three days. Some of the sample are patch tested with the liquid hand wash, some with sterile water and some with sodium laureth sulphate, a known irritant.
The evaluation criteria involve a visual assessment of irritation and dryness and the term “dermatologically approved” can only be issued by the supervising assessor, if the liquid hand wash passes the patch testing prosses. This claim signifies that the product has been tested by the dermatologists and they have carefully looked into the ingredients of a product and its reaction with the skin. It also signifies that the product is safe to use and does not cause any harm to the skin or body.
Sources
https://www.hayleyhall.uk/2015/09/the-truth-about-what-dermatologically.html
https://www.dermaessentia.com/blogs/skin-care/dermatologically-tested
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/943465/labels-on-skin-care-cosmetics-meanings-explained
https://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Article/2004/02/12/Dermatologically-tested-claims-misleading