5 Label Tips for Cosmetics and Beauty Products

Follow the FDA’s Cosmetic Label Guidelines

A label design that doesn’t follow the rules isn’t going to do your products any good. Misbranded cosmetics labels are subject to regulatory action from the FDA if it’s found to be misleading or lack any of the required information. The FDA provides a cosmetic labeling guide that can help you ensure that your product labels follow any legal requirements. These include:

• What’s required to appear on the principal display panel:
  • An identity statement – Indicate the nature and use of a product through a name or an illustration that can be understood by the public
  • An accurate statement of the net quantity of contents – Measure by weight, numerical count, or a combination of weight and measure
• What’s required on the information panel:
  • Name and place of business – Include the street address, city, state, and ZIP Code for the manufacturer, packer, or distributor
  • Distributor statement – Must say “Manufactured for…” or “Distributed by…,” or similar wording if the name and address are not those of the manufacturer
  • Material facts – An accurate list of all materials included in the product
  • Warning and caution statements – Prominent and conspicuous statements related to specific products, such as for cosmetics that may be hazardous to consumers
  • Ingredients – Ingredients must appear on an information panel, in descending order of predominance

Highlight Other Indicators

The FDA’s required information isn’t the only item that you’ll want to include on your product labels. Other labeling ‘claims’ can be a good way to help distinguish yourself from competitors, especially if a certain claim is something that can be a deciding factor for your target audience. These types of claims include:

• Organic
• Vegan
• Cruelty-free/Not tested on animals
• Alcohol-free
• Hypoallergenic

If any of these claims are truthful and not misleading, they can be added to your product label.

Another piece of information that’s good to include is an expiration date. U.S. law currently doesn’t have any regulations involving expiration dates, but each company does have a responsibility for the safety of their products. If your products will expire, it’s best to include that date on your label for the good of your customers.

Think About All the Label Shapes and Sizes You’ll Need

Unless you carry one type of product, there’s a fair chance that your labels aren’t going to be a one-size-fits-all solution. Common containers include:

• Airless bottles
• Pumps
• Sprayers
• Jars
• Tubes
• Droppers
• Compacts

Each one of these containers can call for labels of different shapes and sizes. This can be a serious issue if you’re banking on using the same exact design for every product. While you can certainly use the same color scheme, font choices, and other design details for each container, you’ll want to make sure that you adapt your branding and any legally-required information to the various label shapes needed for every applicable container.

Consider Special Printing Techniques and Materials

Don’t be afraid to take advantage of special printing techniques for your cosmetics and other beauty products. These value-added services can add both style and function to your product labels.

Double Sided Labels

If you have a clear container, double sided labels are an eye-catching way to make the most of available space. These labels can be read through your container, adding some additional depth to the look of your packaging.

Hot Foil Stamping

Whether you want to make your product look flashy or sophisticated, hot foil stamping can add a dash of style to your labels. Traditional hot foil stamped labels feature gold and silver, but you have many other options that can change your product’s look, such as a matte black stamp or a holographic sheen.

Embossed Labels

Labels aren’t just a visual medium. Label embossing physically raises specific aspects of your label, adding a three-dimensional look and feel to your beauty product labels.

Waterproof Labels

Your labels shouldn’t fall off until long after your consumers are done with your products. If there’s a chance that your products will come into regular contact with water, you should consider investing in waterproof labels.

Hang Tags

Ever wish you had some extra label space? Custom hang tags give you some extra real estate for brand information, promote special deals, or include any other key details that just won’t fit on your labels.

Choosing the Best Adhesive for Your Product Label 

Having an elegant cosmetic label is only beneficial if it remains attached to the product. Often custom beauty products like face wash, lotion, perfume, body scrub, and shampoo are used around showers and sinks, leaving them exposed to both water and high-humidity environments. 

Without proper adhesive, the integrity of the product label can become compromised making it harder to read or causing it to fall off completely. Below are a few factors to consider if your label is going to last in a high-moisture environment.

Adhesive Performance

As beauty and cosmetic labels are exposed to water, alcohol, plasticizers, and other harsh substances, they must maintain their adherence. Selecting a high-quality adhesive will help to not only prevent your custom label from falling off, but prevent it from losing its appearance as well.

Types of High-Quality Adhesives

Typically, for products that aren’t exposed to humidity a standard all-temperature adhesive will work perfectly. However, if your product is going to be used frequently in a humid environment your adhesive will need to have a high solvent resistance. This will help your product label maintain its stickiness when exposed to water, alcohol, or different solvents. 

Along with a high solvent resistance, having an adhesive with high shear resistance is recommended for most custom beauty products. You will want your label to be able to withstand constant stress without tearing or cracking. This is especially true if your product is something that must be squeezed.

Pairing Your Adhesive with Your Product Packaging

It is important to consider your label’s material and the packaging of your product when selecting an adhesive. Many manufacturers choose soft-touch containers to give the bottle a better velvety feel. However, in order to attain full adhesion, a very aggressive permanent adhesive is needed. Likewise, any custom clear film labels will require ultra-clear permanent adhesives.

Find the Right Professionals

It’s not always easy to create a quality label for beauty products. That’s why it’s best to invest in a good designer and printing company to ensure that your product labels are as good as they need to be to attract new customers.

At Blue Label, our digital printing technology gives us the ability to quickly and efficiently print quality labels. Not only can we handle special printing techniques to make your labels stand out, we can also group multiple label versions in the same order to save you money. If you’re still looking for a label designer, our designer directory can help you find a partner to help you bring your vision to life.

Ready to invest in quality cosmetics labels? Contact us today to talk to one of our experts about how we can help you with your label printing project.