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Valued Contributor
Posts: 755
Registered: ‎01-11-2019

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products

@SilleeMee 

 

first, i want to thank you for stating your occupation.


i had a friend that was a biochemist and she would just laugh when she watched the beauty product presentations. like you, she knew that the claims weren't right because while they may have an ingredient to help problem x, she would say, "ok, but at best, there was a very small amount of the ingredient, just enough to be able to list it on the label".

 

for a few products, she would say that for people that had the worst skin to begin with, would see some improvement, for that reason only.

 

i am not a bio chemist, but just looking at people on and off air that say that they have been using product such and such wrinkle cream or whatever for years and they have more wrinkles then linen, is a clear indication that the product isn't working.

 

i also think that if one doesn't start with truly clean skin, nothing is going to work.

 

like many other things, many of the beauty products are more gimmick then fact.

 

my friend said the first 10 ingredients listed on the label had the largest percent and the rest were mainly fillers and preservatives, or something like that. i don't remember the exact number that she said, but i think it was 10.

 

while this will never be said out loud, on air, but some medication will do a number on ones skin. by that i mean, some medication will dry out your skin.

Regular Contributor
Posts: 241
Registered: ‎05-30-2011

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products


@SilleeMee wrote:

I'm a scientist, a biochemist in fact. I know about these statistical things that are used to convince people into believing one way or another. It's all in the numbers. Personally I'd rather not look at those clinicals. I'd rather go by what the science tells me. I know about ingredients and how they work. I also know that most skin care ingredients don't do much in the way of wrinkle reduction...only Retin-A has been scientifically proven to do that. So that's what I use. All the other stuff is moisturizers, good and bad ones. None of them will do anything else.


@SilleeMee Yes.  Thank you.  When I was younger I used Retin-A for acne and kept using it for wrinkles and skin texture issues.  It has worked wonders as long as I use a very small amount in the evening and the next morning I use my SPF.  And speaking of SPF, that is very important as well. But  I am still searching for a product to use on my body because using Retin A all over my body is not an option for me.  So when I have free time to watch beauty shows hoping to find something for my body, I quickly get discouraged because the clinicals sound too good to be true.  When I see that 100% of people saw improvement I gasp in disbelief.  100% of how many people?  And where did you find them?  And oddly enough many of my relatives and friends fall for the clinicals only to find out the products don't work as well for them.  Individual results may vary for sure, but we fall for the hype sometimes.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,199
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products

Sometimes the fine print at the bottom will say the number of participants. It's always small, from around 10 to 100. Also, they are "paid participants" in the study, given products for free. Everything encourages them to report positive results.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,399
Registered: ‎07-15-2016

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products

I put vendor "clinical results" in the same category as political polling ... i.e.  I don't believe a word of it.

Regular Contributor
Posts: 241
Registered: ‎05-30-2011

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products


@ALRATIBA wrote:

I put vendor "clinical results" in the same category as political polling ... i.e.  I don't believe a word of it.


Smiley LOL

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,510
Registered: ‎05-23-2010

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products


@glam_girl wrote:

Since we have an all day beauty event it's time for me to vent.  Not all vendors are the same, but it just boggles my mind when I see vague descriptions.  As a professional statistician I don't expect to see full details on TV, but in my line of work it is very rare to obtain an over 90% improvement and when I watch these beauty shows I see those all the time.  It is impressive to see, but most vendors don't show how many people they tested and where they found the subjects to test the products.  The size of the sample matters in a study.   It is not the same to test 9 people than it is to test 29.  The same goes for random sampling.  Are they picking subjects randomly to test the products or are they picking friends, relatives or fans of the line?  I just hope that in the future QVC shows more information or asks their vendors to be more strict when they do their clinicals.  


Great points. I want to also add that this figure is based on self reports of what participants “saw” in themselves. There’s no measurement used to quantify or describe what “improvement” is. Self reports are highly subjective. 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,427
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products


@SilleeMee wrote:

I'm a scientist, a biochemist in fact. I know about these statistical things that are used to convince people into believing one way or another. It's all in the numbers. Personally I'd rather not look at those clinicals. I'd rather go by what the science tells me. I know about ingredients and how they work. I also know that most skin care ingredients don't do much in the way of wrinkle reduction...only Retin-A has been scientifically proven to do that. So that's what I use. All the other stuff is moisturizers, good and bad ones. None of them will do anything else.


This is the Gospel Truth!!!  I have wasted alot of money in the last few yrs trying all kinds of different lines claiming this or that and well that really do nothing much at all except hydrate my skin and some inflame it or break me out with bumps!  Since I have rosacea it's a gamble when I buy any of it and likely to cause a flare up most times.

 

 

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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,170
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products

My vent... there should be a disclaimer.  Many of the hosts and vendors have had cosmetic enhancements(surgery).  I tune in rarely so when I do I see a definite difference.  I will not name names but it seems dishonest to claim results from the product when the product was not the determining factor in wrinkle reduction. 

 

And to add----- while I have had no cosmetic surgery I do have connections to those who are in the field and they tell me none of the products really work.  Lots of money is spent for a dream result that does not happen over time.  .  

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,201
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products


@SilleeMee wrote:

I'm a scientist, a biochemist in fact. I know about these statistical things that are used to convince people into believing one way or another. It's all in the numbers. Personally I'd rather not look at those clinicals. I'd rather go by what the science tells me. I know about ingredients and how they work. I also know that most skin care ingredients don't do much in the way of wrinkle reduction...only Retin-A has been scientifically proven to do that. So that's what I use. All the other stuff is moisturizers, good and bad ones. None of them will do anything else.


I would add to this list: vitamin C & AHAs. (But there is an etcetera...)

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,747
Registered: ‎11-09-2011

Re: "Over 90% of subjects saw an improvement" Clinical Results on Beauty Products


@glam_girl wrote:

Since we have an all day beauty event it's time for me to vent.  Not all vendors are the same, but it just boggles my mind when I see vague descriptions.  As a professional statistician I don't expect to see full details on TV, but in my line of work it is very rare to obtain an over 90% improvement and when I watch these beauty shows I see those all the time.  It is impressive to see, but most vendors don't show how many people they tested and where they found the subjects to test the products.  The size of the sample matters in a study.   It is not the same to test 9 people than it is to test 29.  The same goes for random sampling.  Are they picking subjects randomly to test the products or are they picking friends, relatives or fans of the line?  I just hope that in the future QVC shows more information or asks their vendors to be more strict when they do their clinicals.  


I've always wondered why they don't test at least 100 people.  One hundred people is a good-enough sized group.  I'd feel better if they say "93% of people tested..." because I'd get a better idea of how good (or not good) the product is.  To test 30 people is such a small grouping.  Just my two cents.  :-)