Reference pages explaining what specific marketing claims legally mean — "hypoallergenic," "FDA-registered," "patented," "non-toxic," and more.
Claim Decoder
Last updated: May 11, 2026 Every legitimate patent has a unique number, is publicly searchable in free government databases, and has a specific expiration date. A product marketed as "patented" should be verifiable in under 60 seconds using Google Patents or the USPTO database. Claims that cannot be
Claim Decoder
Last updated: May 8, 2026 "FDA-registered" means a company filed paperwork with the FDA. "FDA-approved" means the FDA reviewed the product and determined it safe and effective. The two claims communicate vastly different things — and the FDA itself has publicly called the confusion misleading. Only about
Claim Decoder
Last updated: May 7, 2026 "Antimicrobial" is one of the most heavily regulated marketing claims in U.S. consumer products. The EPA treats any substance intended to kill or mitigate microorganisms as a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Products making public health claims
Claim Decoder
Last updated: May 7, 2026 "Hypoallergenic" has no legal definition in U.S. cosmetic regulation. The FDA explicitly acknowledges on its consumer information pages that the term "means whatever a particular company wants it to mean." There are no testing requirements, no government certification, and no