UK Advertising Watchdog Bans Beauty Pie LED Mask Ad Over Unsubstantiated Wrinkle Claims

The ASA's decision, announced last week, follows a consumer complaint about ads featuring the mask. The campaign included posters on the London Underground and on Beauty Pie's website, showing a model wearing the device and promising visible wrinkle reduction within four weeks.

The regulator concluded that Beauty Pie did not provide robust enough evidence to support the claim. It highlighted that one of the company's own studies included only 28 participants, which the ASA deemed insufficient to substantiate the broad efficacy statement.

In its defense, Beauty Pie submitted two product-specific studies and six additional investigations involving LED technology similar to that used in its mask. The company argued that those devices delivered a comparable light dose and that the evidence collectively supported the wrinkle-reduction claims.

However, the ASA rejected this argument, noting that the supplementary studies were not directly on the Beauty Pie mask and lacked the necessary rigor. The watchdog's ruling reflects increasing scrutiny of beauty marketing, particularly around unproven scientific or clinical claims.

This is the latest in a series of ASA actions against beauty brands making misleading claims. The ruling serves as a reminder that advertisers must hold robust evidence before marketing health-related benefits.