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Upheld ruling on lip product with physiological claim.
On 22 November 2023, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a ruling against a social media advertisement for a lip product claiming long term increased production of collagen in the application zone.
The product claimed to naturally improve collagen production, which the ASA considered to be a physiological, rather than a cosmetic effect. Physiological effects must be substantiated by a high-level body of relevant evidence. The advert also implied an increased volume of collagen production for an unspecified period of time after the product was used.
The ASA considered that the data provided to substantiate the claims was insufficiently robust to be used as evidence for the product having a physiological effect. The testing also ended after one month and did not determine if the claimed effects continued after participants stopped using the product. ASA considered that the testing did not demonstrate the long terms effects of the product beyond the application period.
The advert must not appear again in the form complained about and future efficacy claims cannot be made about the product without adequate documentary evidence to substantiate them.
The ASA have further guidance on physiological effects for cosmetics here.
