Keep Product Claims Safe | Reddit Reputation & Disclosure 101

Specs and real experience only. The words that get health and wellness brands in trouble.

On Reddit, a casual comment is still marketing when it comes from your brand. The same rules apply as on your website or in an ad. For health and wellness products, that means being very careful about what you claim.

The safe zone: specs and user experience

There are two kinds of statements you can usually make with confidence:

Specs. Facts about the product you can prove. Size, weight, materials, battery life, wavelengths, warranty terms, what's in the box.
User experience. What it's like to use. "It folds flat for storage." "Setup takes about ten minutes." "A lot of owners use it in the evening."

If you stay with these two, you can be genuinely useful without making promises about anyone's health.

The danger zone: health claims

Be careful with any wording that suggests the product affects a medical condition. Watch for:

Disease words. Naming a disease or condition next to your product.
Treat, cure, prevent, heal, or diagnose. These suggest a medical effect.
"Clinically proven" without a specific, published study on your exact product.
"Guaranteed results." Bodies vary. Results do too.
"FDA approved" when that isn't your product's exact status. Many products are cleared or registered, which is not the same thing.
"Doctors recommend" unless it's true, documented, and you can say who.

How to rewrite a risky line

Instead of "It heals sore muscles," try "It has two light settings, and a lot of owners use it after workouts." Instead of "Clinically proven to improve sleep," try "Many users tell us it's become part of their evening routine." You're describing the product and real experiences, not promising an outcome.

Check before you post

Paste a draft into the checker below. It highlights risky words and suggests safer phrasing. The example is made up to show what gets flagged.

Tool: Claims Checker

Your post or comment

Flagged words

Our red light panel is clinically proven to heal joint pain and reduce inflammation. Doctors recommend it, and it's FDA approved. Guaranteed results in 2 weeks, or your money back!

Claims review

6 flags

Names a disease or condition
Found: "inflammation"
Don't tie the product to a condition. Describe the specs, or what users say they noticed, without naming a condition.
Treat, cure, prevent or heal
Found: "heal"
Swap for what the product does: "delivers 660nm and 850nm light" or "many users say it fits easily into their evening routine."
"Proven" without a source
Found: "clinically proven"
Only use this with a specific, published study on this exact product, and cite it. Otherwise remove it.
Guaranteed results
Found: "guaranteed results"
Results vary. Talk about specs and what some users report: "some owners say they noticed a difference after a few weeks."
FDA status
Found: "fda approved"
Many products are FDA cleared or registered, not approved. Use only the exact status your product has, in the FDA's words, and check with counsel.
Doctor endorsements
Found: "doctors recommend"
Only say this if it's true, documented, and you can name who. Otherwise describe the product itself.

This is a word check, not legal advice. It can miss risky claims and flag safe ones. Health and wellness claims are regulated, so have a lawyer who knows your category review your claims policy.

Build a claims checklist

Write down the claims your brand is allowed to make, with the proof for each one. Share it with anyone who posts for you. Have every post approved before it goes live. And have a lawyer who knows your category review the list. This module is a starting point, not legal advice.