COSMETIC ADVERTISING AND TRUTHFUL CLAIMS: WHAT REGULATION 1223/2009 REALLY SAYS

Dott. Simone Gabbanini, Head of Quality Control

Today our lives are constantly saturated with commercial messages coming from every type of media.
As soon as we step outside, we come across billboards at every street corner, we get in the car, turn on the radio and every few minutes there’s a new ad. During the day we scroll our smartphones countless times: banners, sponsored posts, videos, influencers. In the evening we come home, turn on the TV or a streaming platform… and advertising is right there with us again.

It’s no surprise that “advertising is the soul of commerce”.
In the cosmetic sector this is even more true: every ad is carefully crafted to leave a mark on our subconscious, making us desire perfect skin, thick hair and a relaxed, youthful face. But how truthful are cosmetic promises really?

Cosmetic Claims: Between Dreams, Expectations and Reality

In the cosmetic field we hear about:

• miracle serums

• creams that erase dark circles in a week

• treatments that “smooth out” wrinkles

• products that “reshape the facial contour”

• lotions that in 2025 still promise to make hair grow back

Anyone who buys a cosmetic product is also buying a dream: the dream of looking better, feeling more confident, improving an imperfection they don’t like. This naturally creates very high expectations, which are often disappointed when the claims printed on packaging, in ads and promotional material are not correct or realistic.

That’s why it’s so important to talk about truthful cosmetic claims and to understand what the Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 actually requires.

What Article 20 of Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 Provides

Claims for cosmetic products are regulated by Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, commonly known as the Cosmetics Regulation.

In short, this article lays down several key principles that every cosmetic claim must comply with. Among these, two are particularly important:

1. Truthfulness of the claim
   It is not allowed to attribute to a cosmetic product characteristics or functions that it does not possess.
   In practice, brands cannot promise results that the product cannot deliver under normal conditions of use.

2. Evidential support
   Every claim of efficacy must be backed by adequate substantiation, meaning tests and studies carried out using appropriate methods.
   Vague statements are not enough: behind phrases such as “reduces wrinkles”, “improves skin firmness” or “adds volume to hair”, there must be objective evidence.

Why Proof Alone Is Not Enough: Claims Must Also Be Clear and Complete

In recent years there have been several cases where very well-known cosmetic brands have been sanctioned by the competent authorities.
In many of these situations (which resulted in substantial administrative fines), the problem was not just the truthfulness of the claim, but the omission of relevant information in advertising messages, for example:

• specific conditions of use required to achieve the promised results;

• particular application methods;

• limitations of the results (e.g. only temporary improvement, or only on a certain skin type).

These cases remind us that a cosmetic claim:

• must not be misleading;

• must be supported by evidence;

• but must also be clear, complete and easy to understand, allowing consumers to make a truly informed decision.

In other words: having a lab test is not enough if the advertising message “forgets” to explain how and under which conditions that result was achieved.

Consumer Protection at the Core

The Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 was created precisely to protect consumers from misleading cosmetic claims, requiring every claim to be:

• truthful

• not misleading

• supported by adequate evidence

• clear and understandable

• consistent with real conditions of use

The ideal outcome?
A consumer who is not “seduced” by miracle promises, but is properly informed about what a cosmetic product can realistically do for them.

The BeC Approach: Transparency, In-House Testing and Compliance

At BeC we have always paid close attention to the issue of accurate and demonstrable cosmetic claims.

For this reason:

• we operate an in-house efficacy testing laboratory, where all prototypes are tested under appropriate conditions of use;

• tests are conducted on human volunteers, in full compliance with ethical and safety standards;

• for every efficacy claim made about our products, there is concrete evidential support, based on measurements and objective results.

Test results are then:

• systematically archived;

• made available (in anonymous form) to the competent authorities in the event of inspections or disputes regarding the legitimacy of the claims.

This is a deliberate choice of transparency and compliance that has always characterized BeC and that we consider an integral part of our way of making cosmetics: not only effective products, but also communicated honestly.

Conclusions: Between Dreams and Responsibility

Cosmetic advertising will always speak to our imagination, promising radiant skin, beautiful hair and a more relaxed appearance. That’s normal: when someone buys a cosmetic product, they also buy a small dream.

But behind every promise there must be:

• clear rules (such as Article 20 of Regulation 1223/2009),

• real evidence of efficacy,

• responsible companies that choose to communicate correctly, without misleading exaggerations.

At BeC we believe that true beauty also comes from this:
from the trust that is built every day with safe products, tested formulas and honest, truthful and substantiated cosmetic claims.