Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System

The National Advertising Division (NAD) is the advertising industry’s self-regulatory body administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. is advising Olay to discontinue claims that its Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System is as effective as the pricier Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System. Olay’s claims allegedly included:

• Olay Pro-X. Have you heard the beauty buzz? . . . Advanced Cleansing System just as effective as a $200 Clarisonic System.
• [Olay Pro-X is] an instrument that cleanses as effectively as what’s sold by skin professionals for a whole lot less.
• Think you need to go to a department store counter for a professional cleansing device? Join the counter revolution, switch to Olay Pro-X. Get cleansing results as effective as a $200 system.
• Technical tests show that Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced System Cleansing System cleanses and exfoliates as effectively as a professional cleansing system costing nearly $200 used by professionals.
• [D]esigned by a team of dermatologists with Olay, the Advanced System Cleansing System is as effective as other systems sold by skin professionals for nearly $200. Professionally and clinically designed to cleanse 6 times better, the Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System also sets your skin up for supersonic anti-aging moisturization.
• Proven results for new advanced cleansing system.

The rumor among beauty mavens is that the Pro-X is an inexpensive alternative to the Clarisonic, but NAD finds these claims to be unsubstantiated in Olay’s ads. In addition, NAD recommends Olay discontinue the claim that the Pro-X cleanses six times better than normal cleansing. However, it found the claim that the Pro-X “sets your skin up for supersonic anti-aging moisturization” to be mere puffery, which we think means it’s just an extra fancy kind of lie Olay is actually allowed to tell.