BBB National Programs Archive
Biolustre Incorporated Participates In ERSP Forum
New York, NY – August 22, 2006 – The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program (ERSP) has noted that Biolustre Incorporated, marketer of the for Biolustré Revive Instant Hair Repair System, (consisting of four components: the Release Cleansing Shampoo; the Revive Repair Treatment; the Renew Conditioning Sealant and the Restore Maintenance Treatment Shampoo) (Biolustre), has supported general efficacy claims, suggested the modification of “clinically proven,” exclusivity, and testimonial claims.. Biolustre’s advertising was brought to ERSP’s attention through its ongoing monitoring program.
ERSP, the electronic direct-response industry’s self-regulatory forum, is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), with policy oversight by the National Advertising Review Council (NARC).
Claims at issue in the ERSP inquiry included:
- “In clinical studies Biolustré actually left the hair as much as 200% stronger after multiple chemical services.”
- “…you could literally color hair up to 6 times a day (if you choose) without causing damage.”
- “Reverse Instant Repair is the only product on the market today which actually repairs hair.”
- “It allows me to give a NO BREAKAGE GAURANTEE.”
Although there is support for claims of general product efficacy regarding the softness, shine and manageability of hair, ERSP recommended discontinuing establishment claims until further studies have been conducted on the product. ERSP also cautioned the marketer that all performance claims should be consistent with the conclusions reached by the administrators of the marketer’s study. For example, ERSP determined that the marketer’s guarantees of hair being thicker and not breaking were not supported by the submitted test data.
The marketer’s study identified that “the sustained oxidative effects of the chemicals utilized in processing the hair were minimized” and therefore ERSP was concerned with consumer interpretation of the descriptions of hair treated with the product being in “perfect” and “virgin” condition. ERSP also recommended modification of the claim “…you could literally color hair up to 6 times a day (if you choose) without causing damage” to be consistent with the testing protocol. ERSP also recommended that Biolustré modify the claim that its product will “Increase hair strength 300% in one application” to more accurately communicate the range of results described in the study and the potential that more than one application is needed to achieve these results.
Lastly, ERSP recommended that the marketer disclose that multiple applications of the repair formula are needed in order to insure that damage to the hair is minimized in the chemical processing of hair and discontinue all exclusivity claims because other hair repair products on the market unaccounted for by Biolustré (i.e., Nutra Renew Hair Treatment) were identified in the marketplace.
The company, in its marketer’s statement, said “…Biolustre appreciates ERSP’s review of our advertising and infomercial. Biolustre hopes that the ERSP is also working to verify the claims of much larger corporations It is imperative in our current free system of commerce that all sized companies are held to the same excellent standards which the ERSP helps to enforce.”