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 – sprang up in Balham London Underground station last year with claims that its skin-rejuvenating results were ‘clinically proven’.
The poster also stated that the serum, a popular moisturising and anti-aging product used by thousands, had been tested by 160 people over four weeks.
But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launched a probe into how they calculated their results after receiving a complaint from a member of the public.
Manufacturer Beiersdorf – the parent company of Eucerin and Nivea – told the investigation that they presented the findings as looking ‘up to’ five years younger rather than saying it was a definitive result of the serum.
They also argued that all of their products are ‘supported by scientific research’.
But the ASA said they had concerns over a number of factors including that the trial was conducted in a ‘hotter, sunnier climate than the UK and different participant characteristics in terms of skin type’.
This, they ruled, meant the results may not be applicable in Britain.
The billboard for Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Epigenetic Serum sprung up in Balham London Underground station last year
The ASA also noted that there ‘there was no control group, nor was there information about how participants were recruited’ to the study.
‘We considered that the claim to look up to five years younger was capable of objective substantiation, and we therefore expected to see evidence to demonstrate that was the case,’ the ASA said in their report.
‘We reviewed the evidence provided, which comprised four studies and one peer-reviewed research paper.’
They said after review, Beiersdorf’s claims were rejected because none of their studies provided robust evidence that the serum was ‘clinically proven’ to make users look up to five years younger.
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The ASA said the research relied on participants’ self-reported opinions rather than officially measured outcomes, and that additional studies showed just a one-year reduction in biological skin age.
Meanwhile, other studies were said to be flawed while the peer-reviewed paper was said to have only examined the active ingredient in the serum rather than the final product.
‘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,’ the ASA ruled.
They continued: ‘The ad should not appear again in the form complained of. We told Beiersdorf UK Ltd t/a Eucerin not to state or imply that you could ‘look up to five years younger’ with Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Epigenetic Serum product, unless they held robust evidence to substantiate the claim.’
Beiersdorf said the billboard is no longer on display in the UK.
They told the Daily Mail: ‘All efficacy claims made in relation to Eucerin products are supported by scientific research. We acknowledge and respect the ASA’s ruling regarding this specific UK billboard execution and have cooperated fully. The advertisement in question is no longer live in the UK.
‘We are confident in the scientific evidence underpinning our products and the claims we use in our advertising and marketing materials. All of the studies we cite are carried out in line with industry standards.
‘While we respect the role of the ASA and will continue to follow its guidance in the UK for this specific billboard execution, we remain committed to responsible, evidence-based communication and to delivering effective, well-substantiated products that are trusted by consumers around the world.’
