The promoters of "Get Away Grey" and "Go Away Gray" have agreed, despite their disagreement over how to spell "grey" to stop claiming their products can prevent or reverse grey hair. A third company has refused to settle.
Under settlements with the FTC, GetAwayGrey, LLC and Rise-N-Shine, LLC, the sellers of “Go Away Gray,” are barred from making grey hair elimination claims unless they have reliable scientific evidence to support them.
The FTC also filed a complaint against COORGA Nutraceuticals Corporation, which markets a line of products called “Grey Defence.”
“These companies claimed their supplements could treat gray hair at its roots,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “In fact, their root problem was a lack of evidence for their claims.”
"Catalase"
The FTC says the companies claim the catalase in their products attacks hydrogen peroxide, the chemical that causes hair to turn grey.
In addition to selling a dietary supplement, Rise-N-Shine also has marketed a catalase-containing shampoo and hair conditioner. The companies have sold their products online and through retailers such as CVS and Walgreens at prices ranging from $29.95 to $69.99 per bottle.
The FTC’s complaints allege that ads for the products made false or unsubstantiated claims that the products reverse or prevent the formation of grey hair, including:
“Watch your grey go away! Now, grey hair can be stopped and reversed . . . We stop grey hair by using a vitamin that includes the Catalase enzyme. Just two vitamin pills a day can bring back your natural hair color.” (GetAwayGrey)
“New & Improved! Now With 50% More Catalase . . . . ‘After 3 months of Go Away Gray, I can see white roots coming in darker. I’m very impressed!’ – D. Heindl” (Rise-N-Shine); and
“65% of Grey Defence Customers in [an] Observational Study Reversed Their Grey! Grey Defence Reverses Greying – Detailed Observational Study Proves it.” (COORGA)
The proposed orders against GetAwayGrey and Rise-N-Shine prohibit the defendants from representing that a covered product reverses or prevents the formation of gray hair, and from making any claim about the health benefits, performance, or efficacy of any covered product, unless the claim is non-misleading and the defendants have competent and reliable scientific evidence to substantiate it.
The orders include a suspended $1,817,939 judgment against the GetAwayGrey defendants, and a $2 million suspended judgment against the Rise-N-Shine defendants, which would become due if the defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition.