ASA bans Eucerin billboard for unsupported “five years younger” claim

UK – The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned a billboard ad for Eucerin’s Hyaluron-Filler Epigenetic Serum after determining the parent company, Beiersdorf, failed to supply adequate proof for its bold assertion that the product enables users to “look up to five years younger.”

The advertisement appeared as a poster at Balham Underground Station in London back in November 2025. 

It prominently displayed imagery of a woman’s face with highlighted cheeks, accompanied by headlines stating “EUCERIN LOOK UP TO 5 YEARS YOUNGER* CLINICALLY PROVEN” and noting the serum’s endorsement by dermatologists for £49 (USD 61.74). 

A small-print disclaimer referenced a “Product-in-use test over 4 weeks with 160 volunteers,” which aimed to support the youth-boosting promise.

A consumer lodged a formal challenge with the ASA, arguing that the assertion of appearing “up to five years younger” lacked credible scientific backing and could mislead the public. 

ASA reviewed the case under the CAP Code (Edition 13), specifically rules 3.1 (misleading claims), 3.7 (substantiation requirements), and 3.15 (cosmetics performance assertions), and determined that the claim was objectively verifiable but unsupported by the provided materials.

Beiersdorf presented a primary consumer perception study in which 160 participants self-evaluated their appearance after 4 weeks of product use, reporting an average perceived age reduction of 4.1 years, with some reporting reductions of up to 5 years. 

However, ASA critiqued this for missing a placebo control, insufficient blinding to prevent bias, vague recruitment criteria, absence of standardized photo assessments, and testing conducted in a warm climate unsuitable for UK skin profiles.

The company supplemented with three unpublished internal trials and one peer-reviewed paper on the serum’s epigenetic ingredient (EUC-220 Incyte), which suggested minor biological shifts equivalent to about one year of rejuvenation.

ASA found these inadequate: ingredient-focused data didn’t demonstrate whole-product efficacy, biological markers lacked a direct correlation with visible age reversal, self-perception remained subjective without clinical grading, and no published, strong human trials validated the full claim.

Beiersdorf contended that “up to” referred to the best-case scenario among tested individuals, not an average, and defended self-assessment as a standard cosmetic industry practice for gauging visual improvements. 

They highlighted the ingredient’s patent-pending status and aligned their methods with Category 3 evidence levels accepted for non-superiority claims in beauty products.

Ruling the ad breached advertising standards, ASA instructed Beiersdorf not to reuse the “look up to five years younger” phrasing without Level 1 or 2 clinical evidence (e.g., controlled biometric trials). 

The poster has been pulled from circulation, and no further corrective notices were deemed necessary.

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