{"id":1480,"date":"2024-10-25T10:45:53","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T10:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/?page_id=1480"},"modified":"2026-03-16T14:03:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T14:03:36","slug":"the-basics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/cosmetic-products\/the-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"The basics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The basics<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

About cosmetics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cosmetic products are any substances or mixtures intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the mouth. They can have a variety of roles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ranging from antiperspirants, fragrances, make-up and shampoos, to soaps, sunscreens and toothpastes, cosmetics play an essential role in all stages of our life.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Benefits of cosmetics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Europe\u2019s 500 million consumers use cosmetics to protect their health, enhance wellbeing and boost their self-esteem. Cosmetics have a wide range of benefits that are both functional and emotional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Functional benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cosmetics contribute to improved wellbeing and healthy lifestyles. Body care products such as soaps, shower gels or antiperspirants make us feel clean \u2013 consumers refer to maintaining good personal hygiene as the primary reason for using cosmetic products.  Moisturisers, anti-aging creams, serums and other skin care products help us keep our skin in good condition and protect it. Make-up and perfumes allow us to change our appearance and smell the way we want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple tasks such as washing our hands with soap can help prevent illness by protecting us from pathogens. The leading causes of child mortality in developing countries are diarrhoea and respiratory infections. Their spread can be prevented by handwashing with soap. Using an alcohol-based hand rub or washing hands with soap and water was also listed by the World Health Organisation as the first basic protective measure against coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using toothpaste, particularly when it contains fluoride, helps prevent caries and has other benefits for dental health. There can be significant economic advantages to using personal care products too. Taking dentistry as an example, preventing tooth decay by using toothpaste far exceeds the costs of treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protection against harmful UV radiation is recognised as an important part of healthy living. Sunscreen products, when used appropriately, help prevent sunburn, skin cancer and premature skin aging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emotional benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cosmetics can help improve our mood, enhance our appearance and boost our self-esteem. They are also a way of exhibiting personal style, making them an important factor in social expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European Consumer Perception Study commissioned by Cosmetics Europe in 2022 revealed that \u201cfeeling good about oneself\u201d was one of the top three reasons to use cosmetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more insights from the European Consumer Perception Study 2022, click here<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Through our “Beyond the Surface” campaign, we shine a spotlight on the stories of 11 individuals who delve into their personal relationships and experiences with cosmetics and personal care products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn about the campaign<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Look Good Feel Better<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) is an international cancer support organisation that helps people manage some of the physical and emotional side effects of cancer treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation works with people who are currently undergoing cancer treatment, who are about to start cancer treatment or who have recently completed cancer treatment. LGFB aims to help them improve their self-esteem, confidence and wellbeing during these difficult times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LGFB\u2019s work focuses on improving self-image and appearance through free group workshops on skincare and make-up, hand and nail care, hair care and much more. It is supported by leading companies and brands from the cosmetics industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LGFB currently operates in 27 countries across six continents and has collectively supported over two million people. Learn more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The basics About cosmetics Cosmetic products are any substances or mixtures intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the mouth. They can have a variety of roles: Ranging from antiperspirants, fragrances, make-up and shampoos, to soaps, sunscreens and toothpastes, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5146,"parent":14,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1480","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1480"}],"version-history":[{"count":74,"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4197,"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1480\/revisions\/4197"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmeticseurope.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}