I watched a commercial for a well-known brand of face cream. The volume was muted, but having seen this particular ad before, I knew the narrator was talking about the new technology, cool ingredients, and amazing results that women saw when they used the cream. (The amazing results, by the way, are that the lines appear reduced). The thing is, that’s not what are they are showing me.

What they are showing me are cool shots of the sleek and fancy jar. They are showing me light reflecting off the polished metal cap- it’s all very intoxicating… I’m almost convinced that what’s in the jar must be so fabulous that I should go ahead and buy one the next time I see it at the store. The vibe is full-on aesthetic high-tech that delivers results. Now I’m shown a very lovely woman, probably in her forties, meant to look at least ten years younger than she is. They flash the name of an ingredient across the screen and little animated “sparkles” simulate the cream’s “action” over the side of the woman’s face.

Something is missing though: ACTUAL RESULTS. Call me crazy, but it seems to me that if you’re paying a lot of money for prime-time commercial ad space, and your product claims to do something specific, why not simply demonstrate how great your product is? Show me how well it works. So why is it that’s the one thing they don’t show? Have you ever seen a commercial for bareMinerals? It’s way more convincing. Why? Because their product actually does exactly what they say it does, and it does it very well.  Makes you wonder if they are hiding something.

Just for the sake of giving this particular company the benefit of the doubt, I checked out their website. There were plenty of graphs and studies full of useless information and even a few before and after shots. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see enough of a difference to be convinced, it’s no wonder they don’t use those shots on the commercials. Even the graphs have fine print: “*resignals skin by increasing surface turnover and repairing the moisture barrier.” Isn’t it the primary job of any good moisturizer to repair the moisture barrier?  Increasing surface turnover is no new feat. Everything from retinols to glycolic and salicylic acid do exactly that. Repairing the moisture barrier is just a fancy way of saying that they’re coating your skin with something to protect it. So in fact, rather than sharing breakthrough technology with us they’re just sharing a fancy new way of saying the same thing.

Another detail, only discernible if you read the fine print, is that the studies their results are based on are of their product versus no product. The fact that surface cell turnover rates increased from 5% to 10% between them and someone not using their product isn’t terribly impressive, but state that the cell turnover rate doubled and that sounds much better.

When I checked out the FAQ’s section of the website, the answers to the questions “How does product X work?” were actually statements of what the products are supposed to do rather than how they work. Question:  How does the hydrating cleanser work? Answer: It works by replacing lost moisture while gently removing makeup, dirt and oil. That’s a nifty little trick called circular logic: assuming, as a premise, that which you are trying to prove.  Um, thanks.

Here’s a better study: compare the results of your new product to the results of the last product you came out with. After all, shouldn’t the new creams be improvements on the old ones with all the new technology and panels of dermatologists and clinical studies? Or better yet, compare it to something basic, like using pure coconut oil or aloe vera.

What I’m getting at here is that companies spend a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of effort trying to convince you to use their product, so when you find yourself watching the commercial and, despite your commitment to natural, healthy products, you think to yourself “Hmmm….that looks like something I’d like to try,” don’t feel bad (like I did), because that’s exactly what they were aiming for.

Here’s the good news: the market is primed for an influx of truly fantastic, truly natural products. The many undesirable practices of big cosmetic companies are finally being revealed, yet they’re still fighting the green revolution and failing to give us what we what we want: products that work. Really work. This is paving the way for the smaller, independent visionaries to use the same technology that’s making the big guys job harder and to share their brand with those interested in alternatives, which is a lot of us. So don’t let those fancy ads get you worked up because the market has heard our requests and it’s just gearing up to deliver.

Addendum: A Sign of the Times

As I was completing this article I came across a report stating that in March, 2009 an ad for this well-known company’s anti-ageing cream was banned in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for being misleading. Check out the full article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/04/olay-ad-banned.

Shayna Teicher

After nearly three years managing a bath and beauty boutique, Shayna decided to go out on her own and open Butterfly Effect, a holistic, eco-conscious beauty boutique located in Sarasota, Florida. Our very own “Beauty Chick”, read Shayna’s other intriguing articles and product reviews here.