My current favorite is the Garnier Fructise claim to make hair 5 times stronger. If you look at a bottle of conditioner, there is a footnote, that in a font that must be about 0.5 points, says that the test was performed by combing and brushing. It's really not a strength test at all. It's a slipperiness test.
That doesn't stop them from putting out entertaining commercials, though. Currently there's an ad where a couple walk up to some sort of food stand. The girl has beautiful, thick hair what swings back and forth over her butt when she walks.
While at the booth, her boyfriend ties her hair around a metal pole attached to the booth. At first the girl is restrained, but thanks to Garnier Fructise, her hair is so strong, she can pull the metal bar right off the booth. Of course that's exactly the sort of strength they were NOT testing for. (of course, it doesn't really matter -- hair is that strong anyway).
And her hair length dramatically changes when tied up.
Hair ReligionOne of the best is when they claim to be able to eliminate the frizzy look (in this case not split ends but rather the hairs that are normally of various lengths) so that your hair will appear smooth (like a helmet?).
I can only imagine the hairdresser hell before the commercial shoot because they do get the model to look that way but it's not what hair normally does.
The greatest lie is the assumption that you need the products in the first place.
Elizabeth
I would have to say the lather, rinse, repeat thing that they put on shampoo. once is plenty enough. they are just trying to get you to use more so that you need to buy more.
Let's say X is the amount that you would use to lather and rinse. If you were to use half of X for the first go round, then you'd need less than half of X for the second round. It actually takes less shampoo if you do it in two steps, assuming you use the right amounts. Of course, if you use the right amounts for maximum usage and minimum waste, you're not lathering....
Is lathering actually important? I find that being gentle with shampooing and not rubbing a lot I am not developing much of a lather.
Nope, it's not important.
I usually just apply a bit of water and mix it in my hands so it lathers a bit, just to make it easier to get it in my hair. But it doesn't lather very much the way I do it. Not as much as when I had short hair and just churned it around.
My favorite is hair products that purport to provide nutrients to the hair. They're overlooking the fact that hair is dead.
Ed
My current favorite is the US auto maker who adveristises that
quality is job 1 after 1. they recall many thousands of cars
for various defects and 2. they layoff 30,000 employees after
layoffs of 10,000 recently.
There are lots of ads for lots of products that are less than
honest. This is just one of many.