A cosmetic regulatory consultant believes consumers are being let down by certain skincare brands and the regulator after a landmark court ruling found an Aussie skincare brand lied about the ingredients in certain products.
Biologi’s BF and BK Vitamin C serum claimed to be 99.8 per cent fruit extract with just 0.2 per cent as a preservative.
It was promoted as the world’s first skin cream “made from a single type of plant”.
But when independently tested at the University of Queensland, it was found the cream contained between 70-80 per cent glycerin, around 20 per cent water and no vitamin C at all.
The shock discovery was cemented by a Federal Court judge in October, who ruled Biologi’s founder Ross Macdougald and his companies had engaged in eight separate instances of misleading or deceptive conduct.
That included claims products contained “only one ingredient” and “only pure plant” – which were false.
A tiny 5ml tester of Biologi’s vitamin C serum set consumers back $31.
Comparatively, a popular sorbolene moisturiser retails for $11 per litre – almost $6000 cheaper than Biologi’s per litre rate.
Biologi’s misleading behaviour was originally blown out of the water by Macdougald’s former business partner and fiance Lisa Carroll.
Carroll runs Native Extracts, which sells wholesale cosmetic ingredients made from plants.
Macdougald set up a rival business called Plant Extracts after their split.
(7 news)
