Health and wellness

Policy details

CHANGE LOG
Health and wellness
This policy covers two categories of ads: Weight loss and cosmetic products and procedures, and adult products and reproductive health.
Weight loss and cosmetic products and procedures
Ads promoting or marketing dietary, health or weight loss products and services must be targeted to people at least 18 years or older.
Ads promoting or marketing cosmetic products, procedures or surgeries, must be targeted to people at least 18 years or older.
Ads must not imply or attempt to generate negative self-perception or declare that there is a perfect body type or appearance that one should aspire to in order to promote diet, weight loss, cosmetic procedures or any other health-related products.
Overview
Meta aims to be a body-positive and inclusive environment. We want to create an environment where our community feels comfortable, confident and safe to be exactly who they are while expressing themselves freely. As such, we allow weight loss products or services and cosmetic products or procedures ads only when targeting people who are aged 18 or older. And ads must not imply any negative self-perception of body image as part of promotion of personal health products.
Advertisers must follow our Community Standards, in addition to our Advertising Standards.
Guidelines
Ads can't:
  • Promote weight loss products and services, or cosmetic products or procedures that:
    • Contain distasteful messaging that could make people feel negatively about the way they look, exploit insecurities to conform to certain beauty standards, reinforce negative or unhealthy body images, or feature body-shaming
  • Promote weight loss products or services, depicting:
    • Side-by-side comparison after the use of a product or transformation for weight loss with exception to fitness classes impact (i.e. Pilates)
    • Close up on specific body area by pinching fat
  • Promote cosmetic products, procedures or surgeries, depicting:
    • Side-by-side comparison after the use of a product or transformation for wrinkles treatment, such as; Botox, dermal fillers or any other anti-ageing treatment.
  • Promote skin whitening or bleaching products that cause permanent skin colour change.
When targeting people aged 18 or older, advertisers can run ads that promote:
  • Dietary weight loss products and services such as weight loss pills or supplements. The ad can illustrate people using the product or the service, and its impact of using it, and clearly indicate the time taken to achieve noticeable results without employing negative self-perception tactics.
  • Cosmetic products, procedures or surgeries such as:
    • Breast augmentation, breast reduction, abdominoplasty, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, rhytidectomy, labiaplasty, hair restoration surgery, dermal fillers, skin rejuvenation treatments, injectable treatments, chemical peels, micro-needling, non-ablative laser treatments, laser or light treatments or micropigmentation
  • General cosmetic products, procedures, surgeries depicting before-and-after transformation, without employing negative self-perception tactics.
  • Skin anti-ageing products or services, including treatments for wrinkles, such as Botox injectables, may display zoomed-in or close-up images or highlight specific areas of the skin to demonstrate the promoted results. These depictions must reflect realistic outcomes over time and should not include side-by-side comparisons.
  • Gender reassignment services and procedures.
Note: For weight loss products that require prescription, please refer to the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals ads policy and comply with the geo-targeting and written permission requirements.
The age targeting restrictions above don't apply to ads that promote or sell, even when depicting side-by-side comparison:
  • Products and services marketed for general wellbeing, such as fitness services and equipments, and health clubs
  • General food products
  • Cosmetic products such as creams, make-up and hair products
  • Dental products, such as teeth whitening products
Note: Ads for cosmetics, hair extensions, other similar cosmetic or non-permanent beauty products or digital editing apps aren't within scope of this policy, and can display before and after transformation without employing negative self-perception tactics.
Adult products and reproductive health
Ads must not promote the sale or use of adult sexual arousal products or services. Ads promoting sexual and reproductive health or wellness products or services, such as contraception and family planning, must be targeted to people aged 18 or older and must not focus on sexual pleasure.
Overview
Advertisers can run ads that promote sexual health, wellness and reproductive products and services. However, as a global company, we need to take into account the wide array of people from different cultures and countries who see ads across our technologies to avoid potential negative experiences. That is why we place additional restrictions on these ads, including the requirement to target audiences aged 18 or older.
Guidelines
Ads can't:
  • Promote sexual arousal products that focus on sexual pleasure or enhancement, such as:
    • Sex toys
    • Erotic products (e.g. erotic novels or poems promoted or marketed as primarily sexual in content; erotic costumes, cosmetics or fetish items; and non-surgical genital enhancement products)
  • Promote the sale or use of adult sexual services, including, but not limited to:
    • Adult entertainment businesses, such as strip clubs
    • Adult sexual encounter businesses, such as cabarets and adult cinemas
    • Other adult establishments, such as hotels for sexual fantasies
    • Instructional sexual services, such as tantric services, orgasmic therapy or tantric retreats for orgasmic therapy
  • Promote genital procedures or surgeries focused on sexual pleasure, such as G-spot augmentation, male genitalia enlargement.
When targeting people aged 18 or older, advertisers can run ads that:
  • Promote sexual and reproductive health and wellness products or services, as long as the focus is on health and the medical efficacy of the product or the service and not on the sexual pleasure or enhancement. And these ads must target people aged 18 or older. This includes ads for:
    • Products addressing sexual reproductive disorders or health issues, such as:
      • Prevention of erectile dysfunction
      • Premature ejaculation
      • Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)
      • Pain relief during sex
      • The effects of menopause
    • Reproductive genital surgeries that address medical benefits, limited to:
      • Male circumcision
      • Vaginoplasty
      • Vasectomy
    • Contraceptive products, including condoms
    • Lube and pheromones
    • Women's reproductive health apps, such as:
      • Femtech apps
      • Ovulation tracker
      • Pregnancy progress tracker
    • Family planning methods, such as:
      • Family planning clinics
      • In vitro fertilisation (IVF) or any other artificial insemination procedures
      • Fertility awareness
      • Abortion medical consultation and related services
Note: For reproductive health and wellness drugs or treatments that require prescription, please refer to the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals ads policy and comply with the geo-targeting, and written permission requirements in addition to this policy.
The age targeting requirements above don't apply to ads that promote or sell:
  • Women's reproductive health products, such as menstruation tracking health apps
  • Sex education that shares reproductive health or sexual health awareness in an informational, educational or documentary, as long as there's no sexualised or suggestive content, and the focus is on health and not sexual pleasure or enhancement
  • Educational material or information about family planning services without any direct promotion or facilitation of the services
  • Women's hygiene products
  • Lingerie, swimwear or undergarments, as long as they do not violate the Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity policy.
Enforcement
We have the same policies around the world, for everyone on Facebook.
Review teams
Our global team of over 15,000 reviewers work every day to keep people on Facebook safe.
Stakeholder engagement
Outside experts, academics, NGOs and policymakers help inform the Facebook Community Standards.