1 Anonymous Suzanne Ingram ENG 111: Expository Writing October 8, 2009 Cosmetics in a feel good World Americans have

become obsessed with looking, feeling and staying younger longer. Looking good has become equated with feeling good and being successful in our society. And the world of cosmetics and beauty products has become a multi-billion dollar industry by capitalizing on this phenomenon. Think of it this way: there are more than seventy-eight million baby boomers in the country today; affluent, educated, and determined against all odds to battle Father Time (Boulard). Lately, the cosmetic industry has been damned by many, and rightfully so, due to the constant bombardment of advertisers convincing the public with misleading claims such as turning back the clock of time, will improve your overall appearance, as well as many other false benefits when using their product line. When in fact, many of their expensive products do not perform as advertised, causing consumers to be inadvertently skeptical about all beauty products on the market. However, there are products that do stand up to their claim and will not cause you to break the bank in order to afford them. Therefore, consumers must do their own research to ensure they are getting what they pay for, as well as purchasing the right products for their personal needs. I have been working in the cosmetic industry for many years as a beauty advisor, promoting, demonstrating and selling several lines of products manufactured by the Estee Lauder Company. I am also a consumer of these products, as well as many other manufacturers beauty products, and have found that less than half of these cosmetic products truthfully work the way

2 they are advertised or make claims to benefit your skin. In speaking with hundreds of customers through the years, most of my clients are left in a whirl wind of confusion over which products will be the right choice and most beneficial in a pool of billions of choices. Consumers want to know who to believe when seeking expert advice for specific products or skin care needs without breaking the bank using the trial and error method which only creates unused products for the circular file, and leaves the customer even more disillusioned (Customers). Finding an expert is not an easy task, since most beauty advisors work on a commission and have to meet specific dollar goals each month to maintain their position with the company they work for. It has been my experience in order to find the truth about a product, talk with others who have actually tried the product and had beneficial results, read as many articles about the product that you can find in reliable sources, and definitely ask for sample products for the ones that are of interest to you or that the beauty advisor is promoting. And always, always use the number one rule for consumers, If it sounds too good to be true, more than likely it is. Most types of businesses have some form of government regulation. However, the cosmetic industrys big brother, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), only gets involved with a product if it has adverse reactions or changes the structure of the body. The FDA's legal authority over cosmetics is different from other products regulated by the agency, such as drugs, biologics, and medical devices. Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA premarket approval authority, with the exception of color additives (U.S. Food and Drug). Just because a company offers a product for sale lawfully, that does not guarantee it is safe and effective. Even though the FDA has bigger fish to fry, I feel it needs to be concerned if the American public is being bamboozled by these billion dollar cosmetic companies and begin to protect the rights of the consumers.

3 Several other countries, like Sweden for instance, have government regulatory divisions that protect their consumers from companies that make false claims about their cosmetic products. LOreal is being taken to the Market Court in Sweden for claims about anti-aging products that the Consumer Ombudsman (KO) says it can not substantiate. The KO, a government body that can defend the interests of the consumer against companies in court, claims that marketing for LOreals Lancome High Resolution and Vichy LiftActiv Pro are not backed up by scientific evidence. According to KO, the Lancome advertisers claim the product can smooth out wrinkles by up to seventy per cent. In the case of Vichy, the KO said that LOreal claims the product is the source of healthy skin and can reduce wrinkles by up to forty-three per cent. Such strong marketing claims, which border on those made for pharmaceutical products, should be backed up by strong evidence, according to the KO (Decision News Media). With all this information in mind, it still falls upon the American consumers to be attentive and make intelligent decisions when purchasing any products by using all resources available prior to entering the market place. No one knows for sure how much Americans spend on bogus health promotions each year. Many victims feel embarrassed and do not want to admit that they have been conned, but it is estimated as high as twenty-seven billion dollars a year according to an FDA report (U.S. Food and Drug). The good news is that by consumers becoming more educated prior to their purchases, ordinary Americans are turning into savvy shoppers across the marketplace. Consumers are more knowledgeable and more demanding, which means they expect more and insist on higher quality ingredients in their products, and are likely to question product claims and require truthfulness from the manufacturers before purchasing their products (Kowalski 34).

4 I am pleased to know that my personal customers have begun reading labels and questioning ingredients that are being used in beauty products which lead me to believe that Americans are beginning to understand false claims and misleading advertising from the cosmetic companies. Therefore, we should no longer tolerate misconceptions that are constantly in our faces through advertisements for cosmetic manufacturers. Even though we as human beings want and need to feel good about ourselves and can fall prey to companies bogus claims, as consumers we need to stay diligent in our purchases. There is no uncertainty about the fact that nearly everyone wants to feel good about their appearance in a look good, feel good world; however there is no reason to break the bank on products or be mislead by companies only looking at their bottom line instead of the customers interests. Since I work for a company that does not compensate beauty advisors with commissions, I am able to candidly demonstrate and sell products to my customers that deliver honest, beneficial results that Estee Lauder Company advertises to the public. Whether a wrinkle filler or a firming moisturizer, the beauty products which I endorse are easy on the wallet yet deliver with beneficial results. Estee Lauder Company has always held consumer safety as a top priority. They are committed to selling only safe products and work diligently to ensure that their formulations and packaging meet the high standards and comply with regulations everywhere their products are sold. All of Estee Lauders products are developed and continuously reviewed against the latest technological, scientific and ingredient safety standards around the world. They meet or exceed stringent global regulatory requirements (Estee Lauder Co). I feel totally comfortable and confident selling these products to my customers knowing these facts behind the Estee Lauder Company and having tried many of the cosmetics myself with positive results from most.

5 There is positive news for the American consumer of beauty products; there is no need to spend their mortgage payment on beneficial cosmetic products. The cost to make a typical skin cream is between ten and seventeen cents per ounce. Most high priced cosmetic creams use common ingredients and for virtually all of these creams, there is no evidence that they do anything special beside moisturize. The most expensive face cream Deep Facial Repair by La Prairie will cost you 500 dollars for a 1.7 ounce jar (Pickart 12). Whereas, the most expensive skin cream that I promote and sell, Ultimate Diamond Restorative Anti-Aging Cream by American Beauty, manufactured by Estee Lauder Company, is only forty-nine dollars for the same 1.7 ounce jar and can give similar results as the more expensive competitor. Therefore, by conducting your own research and knowing the facts about beauty products will not only save you money, but will assist in making the best choices for yourself at a cost that you can afford. Thankfully, there is no need for all the confusion over beauty products that the advertisers cause with their constant hype and false claims. When in fact there are reliable resources available to the American consumer from various beauty editors, for example Self Magazine editors that actually test and compare products and post the results in their magazine, to the myriad of beauty advisors who like me do not work on commission and give unbiased advice. Therefore, dont allow the cosmetic companies to take you for a ride with all the misleading advertising claims when you can arm yourself with knowledge from reliable sources before entering the marketplace. In conclusion, even though many cosmetics, especially the expensive beauty products, do not perform as advertised, consumers need not be skeptical about all beauty products on the market because there are products that do stand up to their claim and will not cause you to break the bank in order to afford them. However consumers must do their own research to ensure they

6 are getting what they pay for, as well as purchasing the right products for their needs. Happy, intelligent shopping in our look good, feel good world!

Works Cited Boulard, Gary. 9 July 1999. Global Cosmetic Industry. Web. 25 September 2009. Customers, Personal. Beauty Consultations Connie Roberts. 2000-2009. Decision News Media. Design- europe. 2000. Web. 27 September 2009. Estee Lauder Companies Inc. Commitment and Principles. Web. 1 October 2009. Kowalski, Kathiann M. "On guard against health rip-off." Current Health Weekly Reader October 1997: 6. Pickart PhD, Loren. "Products Based on Real Published Science." Skin Biology. Web. 27 September 2009. "U.S. Food and Drug Administration." Web. 24 September 2009.