Singapore Advertising Authority - 'number of complaints on beauty ads rising'

18-May-2015 - Last updated on 18-May-2015 at 14:03 GMT

According to the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS), cosmetic advertising has been receiving a high number of complaints and feedback of late.

The advisory council to consumer watchdog 'CASE' reported the highest amount of complaints it has received in the last three years to have been cosmetics related.

Complaints from the beauty world accounted for 43 per cent of the Authority's total feedback followed by the food and beverage sector.

Hair care products were among the top offenders, where consumers questioned their efficacy and requested further clarification.

Stretching claims to compete

According to CASE president Seah Seng Choon, the industry is pushing its boundaries in an effort to compete, and are making unsubstantiated claims as a result.

"Very often, they have claims that are not substantiated, like a method used can make hair grow," Choon told ChannelNewsAsia.

Numerous Singapore based cosmetics companies challenged by the Authority for being misleading or without scientific evidence have had to withdraw their claims.

According to ChannelNewsAsia, to address the issue, the Spa and Wellness Association of Singapore (SWAS) will be rolling out a portal for consumers to help them make more informed decisions.

Meanwhile, the latest figures from the Advertising Standards Board of India (ASCI) show that complaints against adverts for personal care and health care products are being upheld far more than any other consumer product group.

India comes down heavy on beauty industry too...

The Advertising Standards Board in India reported a high number of complaints from consumers regarding personal care advertisements in 2014.

According to the Authority, some of the cosmetic products investigated violated a number of rules outline in the ASCI Code, and the companies that were flagged up included some of the biggest beauty players in the country.

Among those to be reprimanded by the Advertising Board was Hindustan Unilever, which is the largest consumer goods company in the country, together with Kerala Ayurvedic Health Care, Oriflame India and Godrej Consumer Products.