Liz Earle Skincare


For a couple of weeks I’ve had a sporadic dialogue via email with Liz Earle. Now, don’t get me wrong…I’ve nothing against the brand per se. They are totally open on their site about using parabens in their skincare and don’t make claims to be organic (other than where they do actually use organic ingredients). My problem with Liz Earle is that when you google (UK) the search term ‘Organic Skincare’, Liz Earle pops up second. Now, I feel that is misleading and misdirecting people who are looking to use organics on their skin, as it is categorically not an organic beauty range. The Liz Earle response has largely been waffly, but out of the flowers I have dug the weeds. Without permission to publish them verbatim, the bones of it is that talking to people already looking for and interested in organic ingredients gives them the opportunity to share their philosophies and ingredients because they believe them to be high quality and to give positive benefits to the skin. I question the use of the word ‘talking’ (their word) for a start. What do you say? Is this okay, or is it sneaky SEO that sends the skin care lost deliberately in the wrong direction?

NB: One comment I had regarding this issue explains a little bit more about Google and SEO:

“The placement of the Liz Earle link in this case is something they pay for per click, it is part of the google sponsored links section rather than SEO – which is an organic link – a much more democratic way of rating websites.

The rule is… If the link is included in the feint beige box at the top, or runs down the right hand side of the page, it is paid for by the company who has to actively bid against other companies to place it there. The links below the beige box are there because:

a) they have regularly updated, relevant content to the search terms you have used.

b) a lot of people have searched that term and then clicked on that link i.e. voting with their feet.”


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15 responses to “Liz Earle Skincare”

  1. Grace London

    I vote for sneaky.

  2. Is it true the brand has been bought by an American company?

  3. missy_ellie_uk

    When googling something as generic as ‘organic skincare’ I always ignore the first few suggestions that come up, as they are invariably something planted there and not what I actually want. However this is a bit sneaky for the less skeptical than I who might be confused by this!

  4. Lydia

    Sneaky! I use one of their face moisturisers and didn’t realise it contains parabens 🙁

  5. Wordbird

    Yup, it’s sneaky. “Organic” is a very specific term and I’d expect better behaviour from a company like Liz Earle, which likes to portray itself as having great integrity.

    Frankly, it puts me off trying their products. What else are they happy to lie and mislead punters about?

  6. Sneaky sneaky! Most people would just assume thay were organic seeing that!

  7. @ali, yes they have beensold to an american company, find out here:

    http://wandesworld.blogspot.com/2010/03/liz-earle-from-john-lewis-stores-to.html

    I think that its sooo rude to do that. Liz Earle is got Organic, it uses some organic ingredients.

    What shocks me is that people like the Liz Earle Brand because they her brand is “good” and her customers feel like they know her, but do they??

    I certainly dont

  8. Lisa

    Very sneaky, I thought they were a “natural” range until I checked their ingredients list.

  9. Alexia

    The placement of the Liz Earle link in this case is something they pay for per click, it is part of the google sponsored links section rather than SEO – which is an organic link – a much more democratic way of rating websites.

    The rule is… If the link is included in the feint beige box at the top, or runs down the right hand side of the page, it is paid for by the company who has to actively bid against other companies to place it there. The links below the beige box are there because:

    a) they have regularly updated, relevant content to the search terms you have used.

    b) a lot of people have searched that term and then clicked on that link i.e. voting with their feet.

    Liz Earle do make some wonderful products, I hope being bought out will now send them down the over-expanding path of ruin!

  10. Ahhh…we have all underestimated the sneakiness! Organic!!! PAH! Piffle and poppycock!
    x

  11. Tina

    I tried a few Liz Earle products recently, and whilst they were OK, none of them were marvellous (though the Hot Cloth and Cleanse was pretty good). But I would prefer to spend my dosh on a more transparent brand. It’s not that I feel that they have lied, I just don’t feel that they have been completely honest. Ethics are important to me, and there are plenty of other brands that supply those.

    Liz Earle, the company, are entitled to do business anyway they like, but I resent the implied pretence.

    PS: the implication that people are “voting with their feet” is disingenuous – many (most?) internet users are not aware of that links on Google can be bought (grey box or otherwise). Most of my colleagues, for example, barely even know what a blog is.

  12. Hell Candy Make Up

    I read last month that Liz Earle have been bought up by Avon which was a disappointing read.

    Whilst I have enjoyed Liz Earle products and do love their products it is a tad cheeky.

    Having said that there are many brands out there who are by far worse.

    At least Liz Earle has a good animal testing policy and are trying to be good with the ingredients they choose (well at least I hope they are!)

  13. Scarlett

    I may be outnumbered here but I feel Liz Earle needs some much needed defending. The brand and the woman herself have never ever claimed that they make purely “organic” and/or “natural” products. They have always been open about the fact that they use parabens and preservatives in their products. She defends this by citing a scientific study of creams in bathrooms containing e-coli because they did not contain any preservatives. Also, the consumer needs to take responsibility for finding out whether their products are truly organic or not, and Google and their paid partners are not the source of that. Finally the products work, not because they are organic (that does not always mean better) but because the ingredients are fantastic quality. Ok, rant over, but needed to be said.

  14. shawes

    Reading about the Liz Earle google advertising made me remember I took a screen grab of a particularly cheeky example back in 2009.

    http://flic.kr/p/8yYb1q

    I did a search for parabens and up popped Liz and her “paraben free skincare range” claim at the top!

    The link went off to a page on her site where she justified parabens, but still thought it was very naughty.

  15. Anonymous

    What tosh from Scarlett aka Liz Earle employee.

    Ive just done a search for organic skincare in google and up pops you lot because you are bidding on the search term.

    The advert says natural active and is displayed when searching for “organic skincare”.

    So when you say:
    “have never ever claimed that they make purely “organic” and/or “natural” products.”

    What you’re saying is it’s ok to pretend to be natural and organic to uneducated consumers looking for guidance on google but if you get caught out on it, you maintain, well, we never said “purely”.

    And you’re not open about the parabens and preservatives you use, because you don’t display your ingredients on your website!

    Luckily they are available online….

    http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/product.php?prod_id=316766

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