The ingredients, effectiveness and benefits of cold baths were the focus of the test, which ÖKO-TEST published for the first time in the November 2020 issue. The consumer advocates sent 20 cold baths to laboratories and had them examined by experts. Among them were 13 medicinal products and seven cosmetic products. The difference? Cosmetics must not have an effect that is comparable to a drug. Otherwise it would have to comply with the Medicines Act. In this way, manufacturers avoid medical claims and advertise their products as “beneficial” and “liberating”.
ÖKO-TEST recommends that consumers better use a cold bath that is sold as a medicine. After all, eight of these products in the test are “satisfactory”, including bath additives from Rossmann, Rewe, Edeka and Dm. However, no cold bath scores better than “satisfactory”. Worse, however: ÖKO-TEST rated a total of six bath additives as “unsatisfactory”.
From the point of view of the experts commissioned by ÖKO-TEST, there is insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of the drugs or of the promised effects of the cosmetics. In addition, several manufacturers use the ingredient camphor, which can have serious side effects. External use can cause skin eczema. If babies or small children ingest the substance, there is a risk of poisoning.
There is also criticism for the declarations on the medicinal baths. Because no supplier has listed fragrances that can trigger allergies. People who are allergic to fragrances have no chance of recognizing whether it contains a substance to which they are sensitive.
This article was created by the colleagues from Oekotest.de.
ÖKO-TEST has stood for critical consumer journalism with a focus on ecology for three decades. In its comprehensive tests and moving reports, the magazine will take an even more intensive stand on core social issues such as corporate social responsibility, animal welfare and climate balance. The modern look and structure of the magazine are an elementary part of the new orientation “ÖKO-TEST 2020+”.