Food and cleaning product packaging always include symbols that provide consumers with more information about what they are buying. In this regard, cosmetic products are no exception.
Different symbols are used on cosmetic packaging, although the most common ones, the ones that every consumer should be aware of, are:
PAO symbol: (Period After Opening). This sign tells us how long the product is good for once it has been opened. All cosmetic firms are obliged to include it, and it is identified with a picture of an open jar accompanied by one or two numbers and the letter M, which refers to the number of months for which the product will retain the claimed properties.
Further information: Cosmetic companies are obliged to include a list of all of the product’s ingredients in all products. The container’s size may render it impossible to include the entire list on it. In this case, the container must bear this symbol, which is like an open book that tells the customer to read the list of components in the package leaflet or insert included with the product.
Net content: The ‘e’ symbol refers to the total net amount of product contained. This practice, which is not obligatory, although common in the industry, is a guarantee that the packaging contains the labelled millilitres or ounces.
On the container and the packaging. There are different symbols related to product packaging:
The Mobius loop: This symbol indicates that a product’s container may be recycled. The percentage inside the arrows shown in some cases refers to the amount of recyclable product.
Green Dot: It is one of the symbols that causes much confusion, since the first thing that the consumer thinks is that it has been made with recyclable material. However, the true meaning is that the manufacturer has fulfilled the legislation governing containers and container waste, guaranteeing that the materials used are environmentally-friendly.
Materials: These symbols indicate the material with which the container was manufactured. The most common ones are PET or PETE (Polyethylene terephthalate), LDPE (Low-density polyethylene), PP (Polypropylene) and HDPE (High-density polyethylene).
