Sorry, "hypoallergenic" isn't really a thing

A new video explains how the term has gone unchecked for years

Published March 20, 2015 4:10PM (EDT)

   (C&EN)
(C&EN)

Do you ever brag to your friends about the amah-zing new hypoallergenic dog you just bought for $3,000? Well, it turns out you are an idiot because hypoallergenic isn't a thing.

A new video from the American Chemical Society's "Speaking of Chemistry" series explains that the term "hypoallergenic" can legally mean anything a company wants it to mean.

"A hypoallergenic product should mean that it's less likely to give you an allergic reaction," host Sophia Cai says. But that's just not true. According to the Food and Drug Administration's website, "the term means whatever a particular company wants it to mean," and company's that make the claim "are not required to submit substantiation of their hyoallergenicity claims to the FDA."

In fact, in a 2014 study, researchers analyzed 187 allegedly hypoallergenic products and found that the vast majority had rash-causing chemicals.

Watch the full video below:


By Joanna Rothkopf

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Allergies American Chemical Society Consumer Food And Drug Administration Hypoallergenic Products Video