Label claims
This hub is about the claim itself. The word hypoallergenic has no legal definition, so these pages look at what makers say, what certifiers do, and what the labels leave out.
Begin with what hypoallergenic means. For cosmetics the FDA says there are no federal standards or definitions for the word, it means whatever a company wants it to mean, and makers need not send FDA proof. The sources we read do not define it for bedding or jewelry.
One page looks at a certification mark: Asthma & Allergy Friendly, run by Allergy Standards Limited with AAFA as US partner, tests products against a standard for each product type. Two more test claims against ingredient lists. Clinique never uses the word on the nine products we read, and the laundry detergent roundup shows an ECOS liquid that lists methylisothiazolinone beside its claim.
What the evidence says
The FDA states that 'hypoallergenic' has no federal definition for cosmetics. Certification pages describe programs run by certifiers, which is different from a maker's own wording. Product pages compare maker claims with ingredient lists captured from maker pages.
Study types are labelled on each source. This is educational information, not medical advice; see the medical disclaimer.
What we don't fully know
- We found no legal definition of the word for bedding or jewelry.
- Some maker badges, such as Seventh Generation's, identify no issuer on the page we read.
- We read maker pages and ingredient lists, not full certification files, and have not tested products.
Product guides
- Best hypoallergenic laundry detergent
Three detergents have a maker claim and a published ingredient list we could read: ECOS Laundry Detergent Sheets, ECOS Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent and Tide Free & Gentle. Neither the ECOS sheets nor the Tide list has a fragrance entry, and the sheets have no isothiazolinone preservative; the ECOS liquid lists methylisothiazolinone beside its claim, so read the list, not the badge.
Brand checks
- Is clinique hypoallergenic?
On the nine Clinique products we could read, the maker page never uses the word "hypoallergenic"; it uses allergy-testing wording and "fragrance free" instead. All nine lists show no fragrance entry and meet our criteria, but the lists differ a lot by product line, so the answer depends on what else you avoid.
Guides and explainers
- Asthma and allergy friendly certification: what the program is
The Asthma & Allergy Friendly mark is run by Allergy Standards Limited (ASL), with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) as US partner. Independent labs test products against a standard for each product type. The public pages give principles, not numeric limits. - What does hypoallergenic mean?
For cosmetics, the FDA says there are no federal standards or definitions for "hypoallergenic"; it means whatever a company wants it to mean, and makers need not send FDA proof. The sources we read do not define it for bedding or jewelry either, so look for the specification behind the word.