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Italy’s competition authority has closed its investigation into Procter & Gamble over advertising for the Braun Skin i-Expert pulsed light epilator after P&G agreed to change its marketing. The company will remove a claim that the device leaves users free of body hair for two years and has extended its 100-day money-back guarantee through the end of December.
Italy’s competition authority has closed its investigation into Procter & Gamble over advertising claims for the Braun Skin i-Expert hair removal device after the company agreed to change its marketing, according to a report by Global Cosmetics News citing Reuters. The resolution ends a probe opened in February into whether performance claims for the pulsed light epilator were exaggerated or inadequately substantiated.
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) opened its investigation in February into advertising for the Braun Skin i-Expert pulsed light epilator. The regulator examined whether certain product performance claims made in the device’s marketing were exaggerated or inadequately substantiated, focusing on how the product’s results were communicated to Italian consumers.
As part of the resolution, P&G has committed to remove the claim that the device could leave users free of body hair for two years, according to the report. That claim was a central element of the regulator’s scrutiny of whether the advertised outcomes matched what the evidence could support.
The company also agreed to extend its 100-day full purchase-price refund guarantee for a further six months, through the end of December. The extended guarantee gives consumers who purchased the device a longer window to obtain a full refund of the purchase price, regardless of whether they experienced the advertised results.
Pressure on Beauty Device Claims Grows
The case highlights increasing regulatory scrutiny of performance claims for beauty and personal care devices, a category that has expanded with the rise of at-home pulsed light and laser-based products. For manufacturers and brands, the outcome reinforces the expectation that advertising claims are supported by sufficient evidence and communicated accurately to consumers.
For P&G specifically, the resolution avoids a drawn-out enforcement process in one of Europe’s major consumer markets, but it comes with concrete concessions: dropping a headline performance claim and extending a costly refund guarantee by six months. The episode signals to other device makers that regulators in the EU are prepared to examine durability and efficacy claims — such as how long results last — with the same rigor applied to other consumer products.
Consumers who purchased the Braun Skin i-Expert in Italy are direct beneficiaries of the settlement terms, gaining an extended path to a full refund through the end of December.
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The AGCM’s February Investigation
The AGCM, Italy’s national competition and consumer protection authority, opened the investigation in February into advertising for the Braun Skin i-Expert, a pulsed light epilator marketed for at-home hair removal. The probe centered on whether claims about the device’s performance — including how long users could expect to remain free of body hair — were exaggerated or lacked adequate substantiation.
Under Italian and EU consumer law, advertising claims must be accurate and supported by evidence, and regulators can require companies to amend marketing or offer remedies to consumers. Braun is one of P&G’s personal care brands, and the Skin i-Expert sits in the fast-growing segment of at-home beauty devices that promise salon-style results.
Rather than contest the probe to a final decision, P&G chose to resolve the matter through commitments: removing the contested two-year claim and extending the refund window. Such commitments typically allow regulators to close cases without a finding of infringement.
“Italy’s competition authority has closed its investigation into Procter & Gamble over advertising claims for the Braun Skin i-Expert hair removal device after the company agreed to change its marketing.”
— Global Cosmetics News, citing Reuters
Details Still Unknown About the Closure
Several details of the resolution remain unclear. The full text of the AGCM’s closure decision, including whether the regulator accepted P&G’s commitments without any finding of wrongdoing, has not been detailed in the initial reports. It is not yet clear whether the extended 100-day refund guarantee applies only to consumers in Italy or to purchasers in other markets where the device is sold.
The scope of the original investigation — whether it examined claims beyond the two-year hair-free statement — has not been fully specified. No fine or formal sanction against P&G has been reported, and the available reporting does not state what evidence, if any, the regulator reviewed regarding the device’s actual performance.
Refund Window and Industry Watch
For consumers, the immediate next step is the extended refund window: the 100-day full purchase-price guarantee runs through the end of December, giving Italian purchasers additional time to seek a refund. Consumers who believe they were misled by the original advertising can act within that period.
For P&G, the revised marketing for the Braun Skin i-Expert — without the two-year claim — will presumably roll out across its channels, though the company has not publicly detailed its updated claim language. Industry observers will be watching whether other European regulators follow the AGCM’s lead in scrutinizing long-duration efficacy claims for at-home beauty devices, and whether competitors proactively adjust their own advertising in response.
Key Questions
Why did Italy investigate P&G over the Braun Skin i-Expert?
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) opened an investigation in February into whether certain performance claims in advertising for the Braun Skin i-Expert pulsed light epilator were exaggerated or inadequately substantiated.
How did P&G resolve the investigation?
P&G agreed to change its marketing. The company committed to remove the claim that the device could leave users free of body hair for two years, and it extended its 100-day full purchase-price refund guarantee for a further six months, through the end of December.
Was P&G fined as part of the case?
No fine or formal sanction has been reported in connection with the closure. The case was resolved through P&G’s commitments to change its advertising and extend consumer refunds.
Who can claim a refund under the extended guarantee?
The extension runs through the end of December, but the available reporting does not specify whether it applies only to consumers in Italy or to purchasers in other markets. Italian consumers who purchased the device should check the terms of the guarantee with the retailer or P&G.
What does this case mean for other beauty device makers?
The case signals increasing regulatory scrutiny of performance claims for beauty and personal care devices. It reinforces the expectation that advertising claims — particularly long-duration efficacy claims — are supported by sufficient evidence and communicated accurately.
Source: rss
