Walk the makeup aisle of any store that sells cosmetics, and you'll probably see plenty of products touting anti-aging benefits. A wise shopper, however, will be cautious. Some of these companies use some extravagant wording to help sell their products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) keeps an eye out for false claims. Recently, it issued a warning to L'Oreal concerning phrases found on its website that made questionable statements about several of its products.

The letter singles out a number of beauty items. The warning also outlines some of the phrases in question. One claim said the Genetique Eye Youth Activating Eye Concentrate "boosts the activity of genes and stimulates the production of youth proteins." Two other products, the Absolute Precious Cells Advanced Regenerating and Reconstructing Cream SPF 15 Sunscreen, claimed that customers would "see significant deep wrinkle reductions in UV damaged skin, clinically proven."

The FDA warns that L'Oreal's products are not "generally recognized among qualified experts as safe and effective for the above referenced uses," and strongly urges the company to correct its website.

 L'Oreal isn't the first company to receive such a warning. Around the same time that the FDA warned the beauty company, it also wrote a letter to Greek Island Labs, which offered a product known as Athena 7 Minute Life. The company claimed this product was "a safe and effective alternative to Botox."

Fortunately, products like Botox and other injectable fillers have been given the stamp of approval by the FDA, which is part of the reason why they've become so popular over the past few years.

The background for this blog message was provided by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, of which I am a member.