What Do The Symbols on Your Beauty Products Mean?

You might know how to read an ingredients list like a pro, but do you know what all those symbols on your fave beauty product *actually* stand for?

Here at Superdrug, we don’t believe in leaving you to google your curiosities, and we want our products to be as transparent as possible. We’re proudly pioneering our sustainable beauty methods as part of our ‘Doing Good Feels Super’ mission, and today, we’re sharing EXACTLY what all those little logos and symbols mean so you can shop with nothing but confidence!

Young woman choosing lip liner in pharmacy

Superdrug Own Brand Products

At Superdrug, we pride ourselves on providing our customers with absolutely everything they need to know about the product they’re putting on their skin. This is why our Own Brand ranges have their own range of symbols clearly labelling what is, or isn’t, in the product.

Here’s what to look out for:

Fragrance Free

Our fragrance-free symbol is used to let you know that the product contains no ‘Parfum’, essential oils, masking agents, or any ingredients which adds an odour to the product regardless of its other functions in the product. If you have sensitive skin or are prone to breakouts due to fragrance, this is a good one to keep an eye out for!

Alcohol Free

The alcohol-free logo is exactly what you’d expect it to be! In cosmetics, an ‘alcohol-free’ product generally means it does not contain ethanol or ethyl alcohol. You may see other ingredients such as Cetyl alcohol or Cetearyl alcohol, known as fatty alcohols. These are completely unrelated to ethanol and do not come under the ‘alcohol-free term’.

Suitable for Vegans

With over 1,000 Own Brand products suitable for vegans on our shelves, you may have seen this symbol a fair few times while browsing our beauty aisles! When you see this logo, it means that the product has met the Superdrug vegan criteria. We’re delighted that vegan customers can shop with confidence in our stores and get everything they need from hair products to foot sprays and everything in between!

Natural Extracts

If you favour beauty with a natural touch, then keep an eye out for this symbol. The natural extracts icon means the products contain at least one extract, processed without intentional chemical modifications, at a meaningful level derived from a plant, animal, microbiological or mineral source.

Developed by Experts – Oral Care

Toothpaste is one of those bathroom essentials that creeps onto your shopping list more often than others. But with so much choice available, how do you know which to buy? To help you keep on top of your oral hygiene, our Own Brand team works with expert research and development oral care specialists to ensure that only the best ingredients and the latest technologies are used while adhering to industry standards and oral care commendations. Anything marked with this logo has ticked all the necessary boxes!

Gluten Free

You may have heard of gluten-free food, but did you know that some people with a sensitivity or allergy to gluten may need to avoid certain supplements too? If you are gluten-free, we want to do everything we can to make your shopping experience simpler. Therefore, our Own Brand food and supplements that are free of gluten are clearly labelled with this symbol. (Please note, this icon is not accredited by the Coeliac UK association or others).

Logos Commonly Found on Beauty Proucts

As well as the logos we use exclusively on our Superdrug Own Brand collections, other logos are used across the beauty industry. These are used to demonstrate certain standards or to tell you more info about the product.

Here’s a rundown of the most common …

Cruelty-Free

You may have already spotted the bunny hopping around, but it’s not just on the packaging to add the cute factor. What it tells you is that the product is ‘Leaping Bunny’ approved. A global programme, Leaping Bunny requires cruelty-free standards over and above the legal requirements. So, whenever you spot this symbol (for example, on any of our Own Brand cosmetics), you can have peace of mind that the product has been approved by a programme that is essentially the international gold standard for cruelty-free products.

Refer to Insert

Sometimes all of the information can’t be squeezed on to the bottle itself, so this symbol acts as a little nudge to check inside the box. You might find a booklet, leaflet or insert, and this will give you all the extra info you need, from disclaimers to directions on how to use it.

Flammable

This one you might remember from your science lessons as school, but it means to keep this product away from fire because there are highly flammable ingredients inside. You’ll see it on things like aerosols and hairspray.

Green Dot

Annoyingly, this symbol is rarely an actual ‘green dot’ but what it tells you is that the company has complied with packaging waste legislation.

Period After Opening (POA)

Similar to the expiry date label on food, POA stands for ‘period after opening’ and indicates how long the product will remain at full potency once you crack it open. The number and M refer to the number of months you can use it for. It’s super important you pay attention to this one and regularly clear out any old/expired products. You wouldn’t eat expired food, right? So, be sure to bin expired products.

Estimated Sign

Most products will clearly signpost exactly how many millilitres or litres of product you get upfront. But, this ‘e’ symbol is an extra badge of honour that says the product complies with EU laws on weight/volume and that the average quantity of product in a batch cannot be less than the amount on the label.

UVA

We all love some fun in the sun, but we also know it’s very important to keep our skin protected from potentially harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun. When you see suncare products with this symbol, it means the product has been measured to meet the EU standard relevant for that SPF level.