General

Consumer Awareness

UNDERSTANDING YOUR COSMETIC LABEL

For centuries, cosmetic products have brought enjoyment and beauty to millions of people worldwide. Today, a wide range of makeup, skincare, hair care, and fragrance products are available to help you look and feel good. There are many products to choose from—each with a different purpose, benefit and range of ingredients that make it unique, effective and pleasant to use.

We know that reading cosmetic labels can sometimes be confusing. That's why we've created this guide to help you understand the various symbols and statements that may appear on your favourite products. These include:

  • PRODUCT IDENTITY: statement of what the product is.
  • NET CONTENTS: the amount of product in the package. The following the volume declaration is a guarantee that the product has been filled in accordance with the average system of measures used in the European Union (EU).
  • PRODUCT INGREDIENTS: lists all ingredients used in the formula in descending order of concentration. This is especially important for those people who are seeking a specific ingredient or want to avoid one. In addition, our ingredient listing now includes the various components of a fragrance ingredient previously not listed and therefore may be longer. This is important information for that small percentage of the population who may be sensitive to certain components of fragrances.
  • DIRECTIONS FOR USE: informs you of how, when and where to use the product.
  • NAME/LOCATION OF MANUFACTURER OR DISTRIBUTOR: informs you who made the product and where the manufacturer or distributor is located. The London address and Post Code is underlined to indicate the main contact office in the EU. Product enquiries can be sent to this address.
  • COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: the country that manufactures or produces the product.
  • tells you the recommended number of months within which the product should be used after you have first opened and used it, provided the product has been stored under normal conditions and not exposed to extreme temperatures. For example, (24M) means that you should replace this product within (24 months) after first opening. The "Period After Opening" number will vary based upon the type of cosmetic product.
  • denotes that our company contributes to European programs for the proper disposal and recycling of all packing components.
  • OTHER SYMBOLS AND STATEMENTS YOU MIGHT SEE ON OUR LABEL:
  • WARNINGS/CAUTIONS: informs you what to do and not to do with the product.
  • tells you to look elsewhere in the packing for additional information, for example in a leaflet, card or tag.

 

FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

  • Our product safety testing requires a collaboration of experts across several sciences to ensure the excellence and quality of all products brought to market.
  • Our products contain ingredients of the highest quality. The levels of concentration of all ingredients in our products are safe for consumer use.
  • Our Company is in full compliance with the labeling regulations set forth in the 7th Amendment to the European Union Cosmetics Directive.

 

Supplier Relations

California transparency in supply chain disclosure.

At the Estée Lauder Companies we respect the human rights of our employees, suppliers and the communities in which we operate, and we are committed to upholding the principles contained in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010.

Our Expectations

We expect our suppliers to comply with all local regulations and their national laws governing minimum wages, overtime compensation, hiring and occupational safety. Our suppliers must comply with our Supplier Code of Conduct. The Code outlines our expectations on quality, health and safety, environment, labor conditions and human rights – including our zerotolerance policy regarding prisoners, slave labor and human trafficking. We have an ongoing audit process that includes independent third party assessment.

Training and capacity building

Our employees participate in trainings to help them identify and properly respond to possible infractions of our Code, and help in mitigating the risk of supplier noncompliance. We are committed to working together with our suppliers to source products and services responsibly, with uncompromising ethics and integrity that is guided by our vision—Bringing the Best to Everyone We Touch.

To learn more, visit our 2010 Corporate Responsibility Report, The Beauty of Responsibility.

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