Eskiin

If you struggle with skin and hair issues, eskiin says it could be your shower water.

“Your shower water is dirtier than you think,” the company proclaims on its website. “Chlorine, heavy metals, and rust are stripping moisture from your skin, weakening your hair, and stealing your confidence.”

That’s the problem. The solution, according to eskiin: its filtered showerheads, which are marketed to “remove[] 99% of harsh contaminants” with immediate results for users.

Still hesitant about spending more than $100 on a showerhead? The company says you can “try eskiin for yourself, and if you don’t like it … you can send it back for a full refund within 60 days.” And to further sweeten the deal, eskiin throws in several free gifts.

But after receiving a tip from a reader, TINA.org found a number of issues with the company’s marketing. Let’s jump in.

Where’s the science?

Eskiin claims that its filtered showerheads not only remove or eliminate harsh contaminants like chlorine but help with conditions like acne, eczema and periocular dermatitis, and can even “prevent hair loss.”

However, the FTC requires that such health claims be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence while the FDA requires its approval and eskiin appears to be lacking both.

The only support for its health claims that eskiin offers on its website comes in the form of anecdotal customer testimonials and self-reported survey responses – far from the level of scientific evidence that the law requires. And there is no evidence suggesting that any of the company’s products are FDA approved for the health conditions they claim to address.

NSF claims

Eskiin also claims that it has something other “alternative” showerheads don’t have: third-party certification. Specifically, eskiin touts that its showerheads meet or exceed NSF standards (also referred to as NSF/ANSI 177 standards):

But according to the international public health and safety organization itself, eskiin “does not have any product certified by NSF and is not authorized to use the NSF certification mark or make any claims of NSF certification.”

The ‘money back guarantee’

Throughout its website, eskiin advertises that it offers a “money back guarantee” including in a banner at the top of every page referring to the perk as a “100% money back guarantee”:

However, the company’s refund policy (linked at the very bottom of its website), ensures that no one gets 100% of their money back. That’s because customers are responsible for return shipping, which, per the policy, is “deducted from your refund.”

Your refund may be further reduced – or you may not even be eligible for a refund – if you:

• Don’t have the original packaging.
• Have already used up the consumable free gifts.
• Signed up to receive replacement filters or added shipping protection, both of which are the preselected option.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, problems obtaining refunds are a top consumer complaint on the company’s BBB page (more on that below).

Dark patterns

During the checkout process, eskiin uses deceptive patterns, also known as dark patterns, to induce the purchase of shipping protection – which costs $3.99 and is billed every 90 days with each filter delivery.

To decline the add-on, consumers must click “No thanks, I’ll take my chances,” which is a type of dark pattern some call confirmshaming. This opt-out link appears in small, muted font below a bright green button to “protect” their order and, in some cases, may not even be visible unless consumers scroll down inside the pop-up window.

On top of this, eskiin does not allow consumers to remove shipping protection after it has been added unless they go back to the product page and click on the small cart icon in the top-right corner of the page. There is no way to remove the optional fee on the payment page.

Questionable customer reviews, rating

On its website, eskiin attaches the same before-and-after images to two different testimonials, one from a “Justine” and one from a “Sophia M.,” both purportedly “verified” reviewers.

And while the company claims that it has a near-perfect 4.9-star rating, its customer rating with the BBB is only 1.41 stars.

Consumers who have left reviews with the BBB regarding their negative experiences with eskiin have complained about a range of issues from problems canceling filter subscriptions to getting signed up for one without their knowledge to showerheads or filters breaking after only a few uses to issues obtaining refunds within the stated refund period and more:

Eskiin did not respond to a request for comment.

The bottom line

Before trusting a company with your money, make sure to read the terms of money-back guarantees, look into any certification claims the company might be using and consider what consumers have to say on a variety of third-party review platforms. Above all, don’t rush into a purchasing decision and if you are feeling pressured, the best course of action might be to just walk away.

Find more of our coverage on hair and skin products.