Unfair Practices and Consumar Rights.

The cosmetic efficacy: myth or reality?

Abstract

Tales about marvelous mysterious countries, that sometimes are only the result of imagination while sometimes do referto existing places, ali share the characteristic of being full of emphasized descriptions and extraordinary details. You can have a feeling similar to the one raised by such tales when exposed to advertising, whose task itself is to depict a given product or service in such a way as to ,lure consumers into buying it. For cosmetics in particular this situation is magnified by the nature of the products, which is closely, related to the improvement of the appearance of a person, both in the eyes of others and in the eyes of that very person. The distinction between myth and reality is the main subject matter of the repression of misleading advertising. The relevant regulation in Europe has changed recently following the adoption of the Directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commerciai Practices, which set new rules enhancing consumer rights. Among other things, the new legislation outlines "sharp practices" which are prohibited throughout the EU, such as misleading and aggressive practices. Enforcement of these rules is the task of national consumer protection authorities and courts.