Folica sells hair, skin, and nail products online and through a catalog. Their products and customer service are generally considered good, although they get a hairfacts notice for selling several hair removal devices and products that consumers should avoid.
Several hair removal products sold by Folica should be avoided by consumers.
This is a shame, too, since Folica seems to be an otherwise reputable company with many excellent hair removal products at competitive prices.
2002 update: On 17 June 2002, I received a letter from Folica stating they had dropped several scam products like the Vector device and other electric tweezers. Below is the letter and my reply.
Dear Andrea,
I visited your website just a few days ago, I was impressed with the contents and the ease of use of your site.
Your website states that our company’s website, folica.com sells a few "doubtful" products. Actually we discontinued those products after we discovered that those products did not meet customers’ expectations.
Sincerely
Dennis Huang
Merchandising Director
Folica, Inc.
My reply:
Hi Dennis:
Thank you for your letter!
I’m still finding several scam products at your site:
http://www.folica.com/removal/emjoi_beafor.htm
http://www.folica.com/removal/inhibitor1.htm
Let me know when these are no longer being sold and I will happily refer all my readers to your site without hesitation.
Take care,
Andrea
Contact information
Address: 2553 US Highway 130 Cranbury, NJ 08512
Phone: 888-919-4247 (orders)
Phone: 609-860-8432 (customer service)
Fax: 609-860-8432
website: www.folica.com
Products from Folica to avoid
Folica has featured electric tweezers and hair inhibitors in their catalog or on their website. These products do not have enough published clinical data available to substantiate their claims.
The following items appear to have been removed! Thanks to Folica on behalf of all consumers!
Ultra Forever Free® Hair Removal System
“any hair that regrows will be finer and lighter and can be permnently [sic] removed after just a few treatments.
"remove unwanted hair at home painlessly and pemanently [sic]"
"destroy the hair at the root."Epilady® TweezEpil™ Electrolysis Tweezer
Quack claim: "destroys the hair root through the transmission of radio waves."
Vector® Hair Removal System
Quack claims: "PERMANENT results," and "produces the same results as a professional electrolysis machines used in hair removal studios!"
The following items are still available and should be avoided
Emjoi Beauty Forever Hair Removal Device
Quack claims: “non-invasive alternative to electrolysis” that “painlessly and permanently removes unwanted hair."
Hair inhibitors
All products in this category should be avoided. There have been no published clinical studies that demonstrate these topical products can affect the rate of hair growth. For details, please see my section on hair inhibitors.
Acceptable products
Folica has a very good selection of other products, including rotary epilators, waxing and sugaring products, shavers and trimmers… it’s a shame they have decided to sell a handful of doubtful products– let’s hope they continue their trend of putting consumers first and drop the products that haven’t proven their claims.
