Claim Substantiation

 

Before I joined the industry, I always used to think “does the claim on my shampoo bottle or my body lotion really true or it is just a random statement”. My work made me believe that the words written on the label of cosmetic products are reliable and  backed by scientific data. Every claim on the label is always substantiated by studies.

Claim is a statement made in advertising/ marketing about the benefits, characteristics, and/ or performance of a product or service designed to persuade the customer to make a purchase. Claim Substantiation is the process of proving and documenting that claim made about products are true.

Claims should not be misleading and should allow the consumer to make an informative decision based on claims that are legally compliant, truthful, honest, fair and backed up with adequate evidence.

Claims may relate to health (e.g. does not contain parabens, pesticides, heavy metals, etc.), or to performance (e.g. “this product reduces acne”, “this product improves skin radiance” or “the product helps reduces skin wrinkles, blemishes and dark spots”). Every statement must be properly substantiated.

Claims can be or consist of “text, names, trademarks, pictures and figurative or other signs”, which may appear on products (e.g. on the packaging, labels and inserts) or in advertising (e.g. at the sales outlets or across different media).

Claims can be categorized in different ways:

·       Performance claims- Claims relating to product efficacy such as moisturizing, wrinkle reduction, sun protection, etc.

·       Ingredient-related claims- Claims relating to ingredients such as content, properties, mode of action, patent, etc.

·       Sensory claims- Sensory claims may be based on a trained expert’s evaluation of the relative level of a sensory attribute (like sticky, greasy, easily absorbed product) on a relevant scale, without any judgement of the appeal of that attribute.

·       Consumers perception claims (Consumer perception is based on a target user population sample evaluating its own personal perception of a sensorial or performance attribute and may include evaluation of product appeal)

·       Comparative claims- Claims related to comparison before/after the use of the products, or between 2 products.

·       Study type claims- A claim related to type of study done such as tolerance tested, tested under medical supervision, dermatologically tested, clinically tested.

Manufacturers should always ensure that the product claims done for advertisement must comply with guidelines set by legislation and, where claims are not covered under law, that they are sufficiently substantiated with relevant evidence. Product manufacturers may be called upon to provide substantiation (by customers, official bodies or competitors). In the absence of relevant evidences, claims may be considered misleading, which could have significant negative impact on the company’s reputation and product.

Prof. Dr. Johann W. Wiechers (Independent Consultant for Cosmetic Science JW Solutions) described 4 rules of claim substantiation which are known to have come from 4 questions:

?       What would you like to claim, Rule #1: Start from claim to design the test, not the other way round!!

?       What is changing, Rule#2: Know the physiology/ biochemistry of your substrate (i.e. skin, hair, oral, nail)

?       How to measure the change, Rule#3 Know the measuring principles of the equipment that could be used in your study

?       Can you prove it changed, Rule #4: Know the study design and impact of biostatistics

To ensure the legally correct claims, following has to be always ensured:

·       Studies should always be well-validated employing use of standardized protocols and system.

·       Quality assurance system should be there to follow and monitor the standard operating procedures

·       Scientists working in the system must be well trained.

·       Data generated should be statistically analyzed

Dabur Research Foundation (DRF) is an organization that is well equipped with test facilities, trained scientists, validated equipments and standard protocols. An efficient Quality Assurance system under the regulations of certified agencies is available for monitoring these activities

DRF is proud to be GLP, AAALAC, ISO-9001-2015 certified. Hence, the scientific data for claims generated at DRF is of high quality.

At DRF, we offer CSP- Claim Substantiation Package.

Claim substantiation services offers complete packages for all aspects of a product, from chemical, microbiological, colorimetric and physico-mechanical testing, efficacy testing, consumer research, and labeling. The Claim Substantiation Package (CSP) is focused toward giving your product a competitive edge in today’s crowded markets. DRF can analyze your product and isolate the unique attributes which distinguish it from competitor’s claims for a broad range of products.

Some claims offered by DRF for herbal-based formulations are:

 

Some of many examples for the products that have been formulated at DRF are:

 

Anti-aging cream

Slimming Cream

Aura Enhancement