Beauty Infomercials: Buyer Beware!

In the past, the only women who used "as seen on TV" beauty products were those in an older age demographic who aspired to look like Suzanne Somers. Today, that is not the case. Jessica Simpson, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson - all infomercial spokeswomen for acne system ProActiv. Alyssa Milano of Charmed fame promotes Sheer Cover, a mineral foundation. With these Hollywood starlets putting in face time in infomercials, more and more younger women are buying their beauty products over a 1-800 number rather than Sephora. Even the much hyped beauty and skin care power house Philosophy sells special kits and packages on QVC. But beware ladies - not only do a lot of these products fail to live up to their miraculous descriptions, they also have billing systems that aren't always full disclosed in the ads or by the customer service representatives.

Sell, Sell, Sell!

Beauty infomercials are very different from the glossy make-up and skin care ads you see in Cosmopolitan or Vogue. In magazine ads for products like MAC or Clinique, the strategy used is to depict stunning models in glamorous situations, as to sell an image of wealth and success that relates directly to the product. Infomercials, however, rarely use this technique. Instead, they tug at your heart strings. "Real people" are often shown as having their lives turned around by using the product in question. Little Linda was mocked in school for her acne, until ProActiv saved her from a life of no prom dates and social alienation. Heather wouldn't go to bed until her husband was already asleep, until Sheer Cover gave her a way to hide her rosacea and a ticket to many passionate nights with dear ole' hubby.

These ads are far more compelling than anything with Kate Moss. We know that we aren't models; we know that the new MAC lip color won't turn us into millionaire leggy goddesses. But beauty infomercials are different, because we could be these people. In some ways, we are these people. Plenty of adolescent girls suffer through high school because of acne (or, what they perceive to be suffering). The best advice I could give them is to use a non-soap based cleanser and know that college will be better, but I don't have a half-hour TV spot and bubblegum pop princess Jessica Simpson backing up my sentiments. I myself have dreaded overnighters with boyfriends due to rosacea - although I much prefer to just call it "being of Irish ancestry" - and Sheer Cover ads have sucked me into the TV screen many a time (I did indeed switch to a mineral make-up, not Sheer Cover, but I'll touch on that later). The bottom line is that we all want to be these women, these women who win. No seventeen year old girl wants to think that she's just stuck with acne, no thirty-something wants to think she'll still have rosacea when she retires. It's human nature to want to "beat" the problems that plague us. But if this were possible, we wouldn't have a billion dollar diet and weight loss industry, and we'd all look like Jessica Alba. It is essential to keep a level head when it comes to buying any beauty or health aid - know that improvement may be possible, but cures are few and far between.

A Lifetime Contract?

Let's speak hypothetically for a moment. Let's say you went into Macy's, marched right up to the Bobby Brown counter, and purchased a bottle of that cutely named shimmering bronzer that your sister-in-law can't stop raving about. Now, let's say a month later, you open up your Visa bill and have been charged for a second month's worth of the product. As in, Bobby Brown took the liberty of signing you up for a never ending billing and shipping of a product before you'd even tried it.

I would never claim that ProActiv and Sheer Cover aren't upfront with the fact that you're signing up for a month-to-month billing and receiving of their "beauty systems", as that would be a fallacy, but the warnings of this in the infomercials are so quick and brief that you barely notice them. Or, in the case of ProActiv, they euphemistically phrase it as "you're joining a special skin care club".

Know this: when you order ProActiv and Sheer Cover, you're ordering it on a monthly basis for life. Most sane people have no desire to sign up for a product indefinitely before they've even tried it. Even worse, reviews of Sheer Cover's customer service on InfomercialScams.com aren't kind. Complaints entail service representatives lying to make a sale, jumping through hoops to cancel an account, and a lack of caring or assistance when the product caused dissatisfaction or skin problems.

Since you can't necessarily trust anonymous complaints, I decided to call Sheer Cover myself, posing as a potential customer. I was initially greeted by the voice of actress Leeza Gibbons (she said it was great to hear from me), and then sat on hold for a good twenty minutes. Periodically, Leeza would tell me that "Well, I know this wasn't what you wanted to hear, but all our customer service representatives are still busy", in that annoying tone of voice that your co-worker uses when she's trying to unload some of her paperwork on you. I had no choice but to turn up my Lily Allen and wait.

Finally, I was greeted by the voice of someone who wasn't Leeza Gibbons. Wanda, a customer service rep, was incredibly polite and very much informed. She explained to me that after my trial period, which would cost $29.95 + $5.95 for S&H, I would be automatically charged and receive a three month supply for $89.95. I inquired as to whether or not I could just receive the trial supply, and she was happy to inform me that I indeed could, but that it would cost me an additional $10.00. Overall, I found her to be very personable and kind, but the fact that I would have to pay an additional ten bucks to not have to receive automatic delivery of further products was quite irksome.

The Products Themselves

Although automatic billing and delivery is terribly obnoxious, couldn't it be arguably worth it if the product is as miraculous as advertised? If ProActiv is a really great tool for fighting acne, won't you want a new supply each month? If Sheer Cover makes your normally ruddy skin glow like Alyssa Milano's, is that not worth $90?

Here is the final and possibly most important thing to remember about beauty infomercial products. While they may be considered decent or even good, they don't have special one-of-a-kind miracle ingredients. Sheer Cover's list of ingredients is quite similar to Bare Escentual's "Bare Minerals" line, which while available via infomercial, is also available at Bare Escentual's many boutiques and cosmetics retailer Sephora. Bare Minerals will cost you about $75 per kit, and reviews from various Associated Content and Makeupalley.com articles are mixed. I do in fact personally use mineral make-up. It's fantastic; it allows your skin to breathe and washes away easily. However, I use the very un-glamorous, very un-celebrity endorsed Physician's Formula brand, which is available at most drugstores for a little over ten dollars.

Furthermore, ProActiv is indeed a great acne-fighting concept developed by dermatologists, but it's the concept that's so great, not the actual product itself. The main selling point is that you are exfoliating with a glycolic acid toner, and then following with a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide lotion. Most anti-acne toners available at drugstores use either salicylic or glycolic acid as a key ingredient, and many are available for around $5. As for a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide lotion, your options are limited, as most benzoyl peroxide creams have a harsh 10% benzoyl peroxide concentrate. However, Acne.org sells a fabulous 4oz 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel that I cannot recommend enough. Developed by Dan Kerns as a part of his personalized acne fighting system, the product is sold for very little over its production cost, and does not at this time offer automatic delivery and billing. Thank God.

Still Want to Order ProActiv?

Hopefully you'll now think twice before picking up the phone to dial that 1-800 number. However, if you're still itching to try Sheer Cover or ProActiv, please attempt to find some other way to purchase the product than through the infomercial. Sheer Cover is currently available at Ulta and Super Target, and ProActiv has kiosks at many malls. Ebay.com is also an option, but please make sure you're buying from a trustworthy and reputable seller, as this is a product you'll be applying to your bare skin.

Finally, as with any beauty or health purchase, do a little research before you buy. All you need to do these days is enter "product name + review" into any search engine, and you'll be bombarded with customer reviews of the product. Don't buy into the hype of advertisements, don't believe false promises, and always be weary of anything that's sold as too good to be true. It probably is.