Selling Wellness at the Cost of Selling Worry: Nutricosmetic Industries Need an Honesty Makeover

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed over 120 enforcement actions against companies for making unsubstantiated, conjectural, or misleading health claims about supplements, highlighting a broader pattern of deceptive marketing practices in the wellness sector. The pernicious problem of buzzwords in wellness marketing, particularly in nutricosmetics, persists, affecting consumers subconsciously and contributing to adolescent insecurities.

The first aim of this study was to examine how wellness brands use marketing buzzwords and the extent to which these claims lack clarity or scientific substantiation. To explore this aim, qualitative methods, including literature review and content analysis of Instagram and company advertisements, were conducted to categorize buzzword types, assess claim clarity, and evaluate transparency. The results demonstrated a high prevalence of vague and uncorroborated claims, reinforcing concerns about misleading advertising practices.
The second aim of this study was to evaluate how exposure to buzzword-heavy versus evidence-based claims influences young adults’ perceptions, loyalties, and anxieties. To investigate this, quantitative experimental surveys and correlation/regression analyses were conducted comparing participant responses to different labeling and marketing strategies. The results revealed that feeling overwhelmed by buzzwords strongly predicts perceiving ads as misleading, while ads emphasizing previously unnoticed consumer insecurities influenced purchasing decisions, and preference for evidence-backed claims does not significantly influence choosing statistical-claim products.

The third aim was to assess whether transparency influences consumer loyalty. Findings show that research conducted before purchase slightly predicts preference for ingredient-listed products, and stated willingness to repurchase from transparent brands weakly aligns with actual preference.
This paper explores how to hold brands accountable, remain ethical, and remain innovative. It argues that entirely transparent brands using scientifically backed evidence achieve higher customer retention and satisfaction and are more likely to thrive than those relying on buzzwords without substantiation. These findings suggest consistent transparency and evidence-based communication is the optimal method to enhance trust, credibility, and informed decision-making in wellness marketing.