Cosmetics and beauty product claims — GMC policy guide

Beauty copy can describe how skin or hair looks, not promise a medical result; Google rules out cure claims for non-approved products. Swap “treats” and “repairs” for appearance words, drop named conditions, and show proof for every “clinically” or “dermatologist” claim. Beauty copy loves a miracle; Google’s policies do not.

Major3 min read

By Edvinas Ivanauskas How the guides are reviewed

Why this matters

Google's “Healthcare & medicines” policy for Shopping ads rules out “Products that make false or misleading health claims”, and non-approved products “marketed in a way that implies that they're safe or effective for use in preventing, curing, or treating a particular disease or ailment.” A cream sold as treating eczema, psoriasis or acne is marketed as treating an ailment, whatever the label on the jar says.

The Misrepresentation policy covers the transformation promises. It rules out “Using false claims or claims that entice the user with an improbable result (even if this result is possible) as the likely outcome that a user can expect”. “Eliminates wrinkles in seven days”, “regrows hair” and a before-and-after photo presented as what every buyer gets all fall on that line.

The practical line is between appearance and biology. “Visibly reduces the look of fine lines”, “hydrates dry-looking skin” and “smooths the look of frizz” describe how something looks and feels. “Treats”, “heals”, “repairs damaged cells”, “reverses ageing” and “eliminates” promise a change in the body. Actives stated as facts, such as “formulated with 0.1% retinol”, make a page specific without making a promise.

The free scan flags health, medical and efficacy claims in product copy, such as “clinically proven” or “cures”, that the page does not back up, so you know which lines to rewrite. See also medical and health claims. Every trust check is on the misrepresentation checker.

Typical evidence

One line decides if it’s a cosmetic or a medicine

A cosmetic claim is about appearance — smoother, brighter, more hydrated. A medicinal claim is about biology — treating a condition, repairing tissue, permanently eliminating something. Your claims, not your formula, decide which side you’re on.

Cosmetic — appearance

visibly reduces the appearance of

appears smoother

hydrates

brightens the look of

Medicinal — biology

treats eczema

heals

repairs at the cellular level

eliminates wrinkles

The same jar of cream becomes an unlicensed medicine the moment its page says it “treats” a condition — even if you changed nothing in the bottle.

The public signals this check looks for:

“Treats psoriasis”, “clears eczema” or “cures acne”…
“Treats psoriasis”, “clears eczema” or “cures acne”: a named skin condition the product supposedly addresses.
“Clinically proven to eliminate wrinkles”, with no study shown
“Clinically proven to eliminate wrinkles”, with no study shown.
“Repairs damaged hair at the cellular level” or other biological language that implies a d…
“Repairs damaged hair at the cellular level” or other biological language that implies a drug action.
“Dermatologist recommended” or “dermatologically proven” with no named endorsement or test…
“Dermatologist recommended” or “dermatologically proven” with no named endorsement or test.
“Reverses ageing” or “regenerates skin”…
“Reverses ageing” or “regenerates skin”: outcome verbs that promise biological change rather than appearance.
Before-and-after photos shown as the result every buyer can expect
Before-and-after photos shown as the result every buyer can expect.

What it looks like once it is right

“This serum visibly reduces the look of fine lines and hydrates dry-looking skin. Formulated with 0.1% retinol. Dermatologist tested by Acme Labs, March 2026; report available on request.”

Common mistakes

Common mistake

“This serum treats eczema and clinically reverses ageing at the cellular level. Dermatologist recommended.” A named condition, a biological outcome and two claims with nothing behind them.

Fix checklist

Search product pages, titles, descriptions and image text for: treat, heal, cure, repair, reverse, eliminate, regenerate, clinically, dermatologist, cellular, and the names of skin and scalp conditions.
Swap biological verbs for appearance words: “visibly reduces the look of”, “hydrates”, “conditions”, “smooths”, “brightens the look of”.
Delete named medical conditions. Describe the skin or hair type instead: “for dry, flaky-looking skin”, not “treats eczema”.
State actives and their concentration as plain fact, and keep any claim about them to what the product does to appearance.
Keep “dermatologist tested” or “clinically tested” only with the test or the dermatologist named on the page; otherwise cut it.
Label before-and-after photos as individual results with the time taken, or leave them out.
Send the cleaned wording to Merchant Center too; the titles and descriptions in your product data should make no claim the page cannot support.

The same jar, two legal identities

Nothing in the bottle changes. The single line of copy on the page decides whether you’re selling a cosmetic or an unlicensed medicine.

“Visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines.”

stays a cosmetic

“Treats eczema at the cellular level.”

now an unlicensed drug

What changed in the formula: nothing. Only the claim.

Questions merchants ask

Can I say a skincare product treats acne or eczema on Google Shopping?

Not for a product without government approval for that use. Google's Healthcare & medicines policy rules out non-approved products marketed as preventing, curing or treating a particular disease or ailment. Describe the skin type and the look instead, such as “for blemish-prone skin” or “soothes the feel of dry skin”.

Are before-and-after photos allowed for beauty products?

Google's Misrepresentation policy rules out claims that present an improbable result as the likely outcome, and a before-and-after photo shown as what every buyer gets does exactly that. Show real customers' results, labelled as individual, with the time taken, or leave them out.

Can I use “dermatologist tested” or “dermatologist recommended”?

Only if it is true and shown: name the test or the dermatologist, or link the report. Without that, it is a claim of fact the page cannot support, which is what the Misrepresentation policy means by an offer that is not accurate, realistic and truthful.

Remediation

Risk signal

In beauty copy one verb decides the category: “hydrates” sells a cosmetic, “heals” sells a medicine. Google's policies rule out the second for products without approval, and before-and-after photos promise more than any verb. Describe the look, state the actives, and prove the rest.

PriorityAddress and document this finding as part of the store’s remediation work.

EvidenceRecord the current state before each change, apply the fix, then capture the corrected state so every change is evidenced.

Similar cases

Sources

Last reviewed 23 Sep 2026.

That is one issue. The library documents 134.

The free scan lists what it finds on your store. The paid report adds the affected pages, captured evidence and step-by-step fixes. Start free, with no account needed.