I’ve been on a “label kick” lately, trying to discover some of the lesser known facts about what it all means.
I’ve talked about fragrance-free vs. unscented, PLU produce labels and certified-organic vs. organic ingredients.
Well now, how about “non-toxic”? Do you know what the label means? Let me tell you…
… it means NOTHING. The reality is that the non-toxic labeling is NOT regulated by the FDA, so it literally means nothing.
From commercial cleaners to cosmetics, when it says it’s non-toxic it doesn’t say anything beneficial about the product. Any manufacturer can place this on their label to give you peace of mind about what you’re purchasing. And sadly they can do it, just because the term isn’t regulated.
I, myself, have been misled when I thought that I was buying something safe. In fact, I even bought a tube of non-toxic face paint for my son’s Halloween costume (so I could draw on a scraggly pirate beard!) but when it came down to it, I sacrificed my expensive eyeliner instead, simply because I knew it was safe.
Sure, there are quality products that will have this term on the label, but the next time you see “non-toxic”, don’t make assumptions about what’s NOT in the product because you could be getting more than you bargained for (and more than these words are telling you).
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D – I used “Halloween makeup” on my daughter to draw a kitty nose and whiskers for her school party this past year. She had welts on her face for a week from that! Ridiculous. For the next party that season we opted for mommy’s eyeliner as well. Non-toxic is irrelevant.
Sandi – awful, isn’t it?!?! And I’m sure what you bought said “non-toxic” too… it’s deceptive. Good choice on sacrificing the mommy eyeliner!
That’s the trouble with shopping for a lot of things. So many misleading labels are allowed. You really have to keep up with the ones that have legal definitions if you want the safest products.
Thanks for this information on toxic products. There are just so many products now that have so many chemicals that are harmful to us and also to our children! I just recently decided to go fair trade and organic. Artisans use organic cotton and even organic dyes for their products. It’s a start…
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