Skin creams ensnared by advertising watchdog in survey

The watchdog studied 445 beauty adverts across all media last summer and found that overall compliance with the advertising code was 93 per cent but only 81 per cent for skin creams. The results were described as 'somewhat disappointing' because they suggest beauty advertisers have not improved their performance. Compliance was also relatively poor compared to other sectors although the ASA said the figures were not so bad as to imply that the industry is not acting responsibly. Inadequate evidence​ Cosmetics and skin creams in particular tend to flirt with the ASA rules because they carry more efficacy claims than most consumer goods. Skin creams marketed at women were most likely to breach the advertising code because they went beyond the evidence on too many occasions. The most common bone of contention was unsubstantiated claims about cumulative effects. The ASA said it had accepted that moisturisers may, in principle, have beneficial effects over time but it had yet to see convincing evidence of this. Of the 24 skin creams that breached the rules, the ASA said six fell into this trap suggesting that cumulative claims are relatively common and that work needed to be done with industry to correct this. "The ASA will continue to work with industry and clearance bodies to ensure there is a clear understanding of the robust evidence required when making cosmetic claims,"​ said ASA director general, Christopher Graham Heavily scientific claims​ The watchdog said future breaches were likely to surround the new generation of products with ultra-scientific claims. Products that refer to cell regeneration, DNA stress and stem cells are likely to have a hard time with the ASA. The watchdog said it has seen such claims in adverts for new products since the survey was completed in September last year.