I know that beauty companies have to be increasingly creative with their claims and advertising in order to break through the clutter and entice us to buy their products. But sometimes I’m offended when they make ridiculous scientific sounding claims. Are they just being “cute” or do they really think we’re stupid enough to believe what ever they tell us? Maybe it’s just me, but when I saw these three new products at my local Target I had to cringe a little bit because they seem to disrespect my intelligence. What do YOU think?
Millionize your lashes
First is Voluminous Million Lashes mascara which claims it will “millionize your lashes.” I don’t really know what that means but it kind of creeps me out. I like the idea of thick long lashes but I’m not sure I want millions of them sticking out from all over my eyes. Or perhaps they mean their product will make my normal ashes 1 million times thicker. Since on average a human hair is about 0.002 inches in diameter, increasing the size by 1 million times would make each eyelash approximately 167 feet in diameter. Maybe it’s just me but I don’t find that very appealing.
DNA Advantage
Next is this new Revlon’s new DNA makeup. As you can see it contains something called “DNA Advantage tm.” I have no idea what this it, but clearly this product is better than others on the market because it’s SHAPED LIKE THE DNA DOUBLE HELIX. Watson and Crick would be proud.
Reacts to light and pH
Thirdly here’s Physicians Formula entry into the “this product changes color to match your skin tone, honest it does” category. This time, in addition to pH control, this product is also activated by light to give you the “perfect bronze glow.” If you want to know the real scoop on how such products work, read Can Cosmetics Really Change Color To Match Skin?
So, is it just me or do you find these sappy science claims insulting too? Leave a comment and let me know if my rant is misplaced or if you share any of my disgust.
Image credit: griswald.net
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, how I LAUGHED! I always stare at this type of things incredulously. But obviously there’s one born every minute, because they keep releasing them… Keep up the goog work with being the voice of reason in the pink fluffy beauty heaven!
I’ve often wondered the same thing myself – women are now getting more baccaleureate and graduate degrees than men, and yet cosmetic companies are still pitching to us at the eighth grade level. Makes me wonder what’s going to happen when all of the current “big suits” of the cosmetic industry retire in 10-20 years and more female execs take over. I definitely think we’re going to see a lot more transparency in the industry – and women demanding to see a lot more of the scientific results and precise explanations as to how everything works!
The geneticist in me is trying to figure out if that’s a right or left handed helix…..
Add to that, *cringe* whenever pushy salesperson starts mouthing off “should get the FDA interested” claims about their absurdly overpriced snake-oil. I imagine the less assertive succumb to their pressure.
On days I am itchin’ for trouble, I like to engage one of them and dispel all of their claims, tell them that if their product did anything near what they say then it would have to be FDA approved as a drug and otherwise it is all junk. If one wants real impact, one must see an MD.
I figured the “millionize your lashes” meant it would make them look like they were worth a million dollars.
Definitely not just you, and thumbs up to Nicki’s comment, I couldn’t agree more.
I actually ranted a little on this very topic on someone’s blog today. It was a review on a new mass market makeup line who’s founder apparently claims that she needed to develop this “natural” alternative because all of the dangerous “chemicals” in cosmetics were prohibiting her from conceiving. Of course, as soon as she stopped using those horrid parabens and silicones, she got that baby she always wanted. What rubbish!
I’m not sure when or if all of this sensationalist marketing will end (OK, I’m pretty sure it never will) but at least there are sites like this helping people become more well-informed (and giving those like us somewhere to vent!)
Do beauty companies think the buying public is stupid? Well, yeah. Why do they think that? Because those buyers keep falling for the same scams, with minor variations, over and over again. Why should sellers alter their behavior as long as the buyers keep buying?
It’s a formula, just like a sitcom script. Product makers read about some science you don’t understand from whatever they can find in popular media, concoct a nostrum that has little or nothing to do with that science, then hawk it in snake oil fashion. Sprinkle liberally with marketing pseudo-scientific terms and a finish of fairy dust. Voila – “the latest thing”. Get a celebrity or two to use it for a week, mention it in a beauty rag, that’s what it takes. Start working on the next episode.
Invest in some real science, you say? Innovation takes money. Real science is expensive. Cuts into profits. Why bother? We make money the old fashioned way – we prevaricate like crazy. Leave us alone. Do we look like Mother Teresa, Inc.?
We science types are head-in-the-clouds idealists. We keep thinking that reason and science will somehow triumph over sleazy marketing. That’s how it happens in the movies, right? The crusaders for truth and righteousness always win in the end? Mr. Smith goes to Washington, opposes the status quo, and the self-serving forces of evil are banished. Or at least deterred for awhile. Is that how it’s going to work? Maybe if we had the Boy Scouts write a few letters ….
I’m not sure what the answer is. Maybe we need a whole squadron of Mr (& Ms) Smiths. Or some Ralph Nader types willing to stick their necks out, make a big noise. A scary expose best seller (“Unsafe at any Concentration”).
Next month I am attending my first beauty trade show. My science colleague and I are signed up as press bloggers. We will be wearing (and passing out) buttons that say “Truth Matters” and “Fight CosmeQuackery”. Any predictions on how long we survive?
I loved this article — but there are even more insidious examples. This is a pet peeve of mine, as a biochemist. Some of the worst offenders:
–Shampoos that “contain pro-vitamins”. (Pro-vitamins are the chemical precursors to vitamins in the biosynthetic pathways that produce vitamins. They’re not “really good vitamins”. Even if they were, they’d only benefit you if you ate them. Rubbing them on your scalp won’t do anything.)
–Moisturizer that “contains collagen and elastin”. (Collagen and elastin are structural proteins in animal skin that give it its elasticity. Some moisturizers contain hydrolyzed [i.e. broken-up] cow or sheep collagen and elastin, which does about as much good for a person who rubs it on his/her skin as pouring a bucket of spark plugs on the hood of your car does for your engine’s performance. Moisturizers are all more or less the same: the glycerol in them softens the skin. All of the rest is window dressing.)
–Cosmetics that “contain vitamin E”. (Vitamin E has shown limited ability to be absorbed through skin, though there’s no evidence that you could absorb enough this way to have any physiological effect at all. Like most things, it really does need to be injested to have an effect. Of course, that’s probably a good thing — excessive vitamin E can increase cancer risk, and have other negative health effects.)
I’m so done with all of it! Spending outrageous amounts of money on bottles of empty promises. I make my own products now.
The 167 foot lash comment actually made me LOL. Anything and everything is met with skepticism these days. The ads are just ridiculous and I shake my head when people drink it up.
More people need to see the value in doing their own research.. because even if a company claims to be transparent and have our best interests at heart, they’re also interested in my money. Immediate bias.
I sometimes wonder if there isn’t a “placebo effect” in the cosmetics world, too…some credulous buyers who, like the naked Emperor who though he was wearing new clothes, buy the the hype as well as the product and believe they see a difference. So appreciate sites like this one that take the blinders of buying cosmetics!
(That should be “thoughT” he was wearing new clothes…sorry.)
I love this article!! And all the comments!! I feel the same way. Everyone here, and I mean everyone, needs to check out Beautypedia.com and Paula’s Choice products. Beautypedia.com is a website full of cosmetic reviews from the Cosmetics Cop, Paula Begoun. She has the same no nonsense approach as everyone here. Her reviews only based on what peer-reviewed scientific research has proven effective, not those cosmetic company studies which are clearly biased because they all make the same claim that 90% of women saw 75% less wrinkles in two weeks! Her products themselves make no false claims. They are all fragrance free, irritant free, and only offer scientifically proven beneficial ingredients. Her products are made from skin-identical ingredients, cell-communicating ingredients, and antioxidants. Finding Paula and her products was like a breath of fresh air in this murky world of lies and deception. You will not be disappointed.
I am not a scientist but I read this blog for information. My pet peeves are the same as what has been expressed by Vikram in addition to the claims made by companies that a product can actually change structural elements of one’s skin. For example, Tarte has a product that claims it will reduce the size of pores. Not the “appearance” of pores but the actual size. And we all know that is not possible. When I wrote the company (more than once) asking for an explanation and where to find the scientific research, I got no response. Not even the courtesy of a “shut up and go away” reply. This enraged me to the point that I will not buy their products. But obviously that will not solve the problem. One person dropping off of their bandwagon will make no dent in their profits whatsoever. And therein lies the rub; how do you wake up the masses and start them questioning the outrageous BS? There are a couple of very good posts on a popular blog that opened a debate about airbrushing and what women are expected to look like in our society. The comments were astounding. Overwhelmingly, the comments were in violent opposition to the airbrushed and photoshopped ads of today. Yet women still want to look their best. And many of us just enjoy wearing makeup and using nice products. I personally believe there is a real nexus between these two issues and as long as we have societal expectations of beauty, this issue will rage on.
Thank you to all of the scientists who post on here and provide real information. Please keep it up.
You’re right, Stacy, about Beautypedia.com being a great resource to use BEFORE you go to the cosmetics counter…I’m sure I’ve save hundreds of dollars that way. A couple of caveats, though. I did try Paula Begoun’s skin care products and they didn’t really work for me…they didn’t seem to agree with my skin. (Perhaps they got overheated and degraded during the shipping process?) That isn’t to say they may not work great for others…just thought I should let people know they’re not a panacea for everyone. Also, when it comes to her color products Paula has bought into the theory (not sure who started it) that everyone should wear yellow-based foundation. As someone who has pink undertones and very fair skin, foundation that has yellow undertones makes me look jaundiced. Some companies say they have “cool” foundation shades but the basic undertone is actually grey…then I get to look dead.
Robin- I totally understand! Everyone’s skin is different and reacts differently to products. A few friends and myself have had great success with her skin care products though. In terms of the makeup, I actually don’t use any of hers. That’s why I adore Beautypedia! I’ve found amazing foundations, concealers and powders, all of which match my more neutral/cool toned skin.
I’m in the industry……and these are truly shameful……
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading this!!! I get tired of the long list of “no —fill in with ‘scary’ chemical here”. I also hate the term “harsh chemical”. One person’s “harsh chemical” could be beneficial to another. And of course “chemical” itself seems to have become an evil word
. I don’t make skin care—I sell it; but I WILL not knowingly mislead anbody just to sell and it truly irks me when I see others doing it-grrrrr.
As always, a great post! It drives me bonkers, and I’m not a scientist; I just can’t imagine having your background and looking around at all the crazy claims on products!
Props for the Crick & Watson love.
If beauty products accomplished even half of what they claimed, then every woman would be a size 2 with perfect skin, hair, nails, and DD perky breasts.
OF COURSE the companies think we’re stupid!! And to be fair, some of us ARE. There are people out there who will buy a facial cream just because it has super special deep Amazonia orchid extracts in it.
Well, to be fair to advertisers, there are a lot of stupid people out there.
True, some consumers are gullible. Some are, for one reason or another, desperate. Not sure I feel the need to be “fair” to companies and advertisers that exploit the weaknesses of their fellow human beings. IF they know their claims are unfounded, how does that make them any better, really, than a scam artist?
It’s good there are sites like this one where people can educate themselves to avoid being victims of false advertising!
I just feel sad that these arent actually true. I so wish they were!!
I can almost imagine all the company exec’s sitting around a big black table saying… “Hmm how can we make our mascara sound ridiculously awesome… I know make up a word… Millionize! It’s totally going to millionize their lashes… God we’re awesome”. It’s kind of worrying that many people see this and believe it though… How disappointing it must be when their lashes don’t spontaneously millionize after application. Just another example of beauty companies using smoke and mirrors techniques to sell
Great funny post!
I’m no scientist, but I’m also bothered when companies insult my intelligence. And then the sales reps repeat this stuff to me and I try not to roll my eyes.
Very funny–sorry I didn’t see this one earlier. I love the lash diameter calculation.
Ok, it is silly name but I like the flashy gold case of L’Oreal’s mascara. Seriously, I use that mascara and it is the first brand I have stuck with for more than one tube in a long time. It is a good look and I have not been inundated by millions of unwanted eyelashes…LOL!