Creams, lotions and potions - ads make us look for a miracle

TV advertisements set my curiosity meter quite high. Take for instance the new ads featuring a pregnant woman praising the qualities in a cocoa butter formula. The formula in the cream supposedly reduces stretch marks. What are those ‘qualities’ in the cocoa butter formula? Argan Oil, Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Collagen and Elastin which will make those marks disappear. I remain a skeptic. It all sounds too good to be true. The statistics claim that, ’97 percent of women tested say their skin elasticity improved. Note to self: check skin elasticity. I wonder how one checks skin elasticity.

Are these ‘rub-on’ products as great as they say they are? Aside from the pregnancy cream, there are other creams, gels or ointments that reduce the appearance of dark spots and others that claim to hide scars. Obviously, we’re not falling for ‘The Miracle Cream’ here. The user knows that the product is something that has to be continually used to reduce those scars, spots, lines and/or wrinkles. I’m sure these product-makers see huge profits thanks to those ads that claim to fight these imperfections. H

I cannot blame anyone who sees these ads and goes out to buy something that will improve her or his appearance. I use this phrase a lot: It’s sexy. Buying something that will make you look better which will make you feel better, is ‘sexy.’ None of this is new, but I recall television star and American Bandstand host Dick Clark pushing products that slow down ‘the ravages of time.’ At that time, Clark was admired for looking for more youthful this his years. Clark caught onto the fascination and became a pitchman for such products. Attaching a big name to the product works. There’s no doubt that people at home could connect with Clark and say, “Yes, if I use this stuff, I too can look like Dick Clark.” Nothing has changed over the years. Actor Jennifer Love Hewett is the one featured in the cocoa butter TV ad.

Now, I’m not saying that something like cocoa butter doesn’t help, certainly its contents could only help the skin, but it’s far from ‘solving the issues’ at hand.  The same goes for a lot of the skin care products, especially the Aveeno line that actor Jennifer Anniston pitches these days on television. Rub-on creams, lotions and ointments help to alleviate the condition and/or prevent further damage with the incorporation of SPF in the product. Nothing could be worse for the skin than sun damage, so the SPF factor in the product is a win-win. The thing to remember is that over-the-counter products will not make an issue vanish.