Cosmetics And Marketing

This year alone has seen its fair share of hard times for people. We all need basic cosmetics for hygiene and others sometimes just to feel good, or to enhance our appearance.

I do not understand how incredibly expensive shampoos stay on the market or those marketed primarily for their fragrance. I do understand the marketing strategies for both. One appeals to the false concept some consumers believe regarding cosmetics, that "You get what you pay for." The other appeals to the consumer who thinks all such products are basically the same and fragrance can be very appealing and mean freshness and more. Great marketing to me is humourous, informative but not outrageously so and showcases a product well.

Price nor fragrance determines cosmetic product value or performance. Formulation is the key factor.

The truth is that if marketing really reflected what many cosmetic products were capable of doing, no one would buy them. It is not that the products are bad. It is because other, less expensive products can work just as well and some can work much better.

Updated November 18, 2012
In the United States, the FDA is paying attention and is taking strong actions in response to improper cosmetic marketing claims. A number of claims focus on hair restoration and growth. That means the product falls under the classification of a drug and requires stringent approval under drug regulations and for statements made on labelling, paper and online. Canada has marketing regulations and claims restrictions too, as do other countries. From emails on the topic I receive, the problem is worldwide these days. Government regulations, marketing restrictions and the recent actions taken, reveal the increasing need to protect consumers from such claims. Here is an article on cosmetic marketing problems from within the cosmetic industry.

I admire the entrepreneurial spirit. I am appalled by poorly made, badly or not at all preserved products sold online and elsewhere, just to make a quick dollar at the expense in both cases, of the consumer. Products need to be safe and well made, especially with cosmetics, which many people take for granted are so, if they appear to contain more natural ingredients than otherwise. Not true. It depends on what natural ingredients are used and what they actually contribute to a formulation, other than marketing appeal.

It is tough surviving in poor economic times, while at the same time facing efforts by cosmetic companies to "seduce" consumers to spend hard earned money on products, that at best may do the job but not that well. This is an article from 2009. I got an empathetic chuckle reading about the dermatologist who purchased that expensive cream, only to discover that it did not live up to its marketing claims for him.

While I have never spent that amount of money on a cosmetic and will not, I remember in my early teens waiting "breathlessly" for a hair texturizing or styling cream, I had seen marketed on television and in magazines, become available to me. When my local pharmacy finally got it in stock and I bought it with excited anticipation, the pharmacist warned me that it was not a revolutionary product. He was right! In fact, it added nothing of note to the appearance of my hair.

I prefer to read labels and research ingredients before buying cosmetic products these days and scour reviews, reading the negative ones first, to see what kinds of problems people have had, if any. The latest marketing strategy for many kinds of products, involves paying people for positive and negative reviews posted on forums and other websites. Payment can be made in the form of free goods and discounts, or money. While that may or may not be legitimate, I am appalled by it too. I have seen online job listings for posting positive reviews, when I researched the topic.

I like to understand how an ingredient works and see if it can "play outside the box" or be used differently or on its own. It may if it is one that has a good, sound, reputable history. However, first and foremost to me is it safe to use alternative ways? Then are there adverse effects if it is used in certain proportions, or from methods of use? Finally is it economical and easily available to purchase?

Shea butter, allergens and product labelling

Sometimes you can get a reaction to a product or ingredient and not realize that the ingredient is fairly well known as an allergen.

People often ask me what I know about an ingredient because they know I will search for the information if I cannot reply right away. I was recently asked about what someone recalled regarding shea butter and could not find in the current LHC threads. That is because that particular thread is archived. This is it, the LHC thread, where quidscrbis describes her severe allergic reaction to shea butter, a painful rash that lasted weeks.

Update November 16, 2012
Unfortunately, the LHC link above no longer works and at this time, I am unable to update it. Shea butter being a natural botanical product will have variations in constituents.

As it turns out, there is more to shea butter than is commonly known. I have seen warnings online that it should not be used on broken skin. See this link for peer-reviewed information on shea butter and its safety and cautions.

Then there is the question of labelling. This company, puts a warning on its label, for unrefined shea butter with essential oils.

As to reports online that shea butter is good for irritated skin, this 1996 study reported that canola oil actually worked better than the other lipids tested, which included shea butter.

Added June 27,2015
See also regarding shea products quality

2011

"Effect of storage conditions on microbiological and physicochemical quality of shea butter"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3551152/

"The effect of storage duration and packaging materials on microbiological and physicochemical qualities of shea butter revealed the necessity to change some packaging materials used in the production sites."

2014
"Nutritional composition of shea products and chemical properties of shea butter: a review."
http://www.pubfacts.com/detail/24261539/Nutritional-composition-of-shea-products-and-chemical-properties-of-shea-butter-a-review
"Fat extraction is mainly done by traditional methods ... roasting and pressing of the kernels ... fat (butter) is used in food preparation and medicinal and cosmetics industries ... biochemical properties indicate some antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Large variations are observed in the reported values for the composition of shea products. Recommendations for future research are presented to improve the quality and the shelf-life of the butter ... more attention should be given to the accuracy and precision in experimental analyses to obtain more reliable information about biological variation."

2014

"Coping with the Upheavals of Globalization in the Shea Value Chain: The Maintenance and Relevance of Upstream Shea Nut Supply Chain Organization in Western Burkina Faso" 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X14002691  

"If mandatory labeling implies stricter social and environmental requirements by the final buyers, it may also entail a shift in the organization of the shea value chain."