A poster for a pricey face serum has been pulled by Britain's advertising watchdog over 'misleading' claims that it made users look up to five years younger.
The billboard for Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Epigenetic Serum, which retails for as much as £49 at Boots, appeared in Balham London Underground station last year with claims that its skin-rejuvenating results were 'clinically proven'. The poster also stated that the serum had been tested by 160 people over four weeks.
However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launched an investigation into how the results were calculated after receiving a complaint from a member of the public. Manufacturer Beiersdorf, the parent company of Eucerin and Nivea, argued that they presented the findings as looking 'up to' five years younger rather than a definitive result, and that all their products are 'supported by scientific research'.
But the ASA ruled that the evidence was insufficient. They noted concerns that the trial was conducted in a 'hotter, sunnier climate than the UK' with different participant characteristics, meaning results might not apply to Britain. Additionally, there was no control group, and information about participant recruitment was lacking.
After reviewing four studies and one peer-reviewed paper, the ASA concluded that none provided robust evidence that the serum was 'clinically proven' to make users look up to five years younger. The research relied on self-reported opinions rather than measured outcomes, and other studies showed only a one-year reduction in biological skin age.
The ASA ruled: 'Therefore, because we had not seen sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim that the serum was clinically proven to give a more youthful appearance of up to five years within four weeks, we concluded that the claim was misleading.' They ordered that the ad must not appear again in its current form and told Beiersdorf not to state or imply the product could make users look up to five years younger without robust evidence.
Beiersdorf said the billboard is no longer on display in the UK and stated that all studies cited are carried out in line with industry standards.
