Just bog standard Persil in a box with a plant on it (Persil Aloe Vera)

Member Name: LadyAudley

Product:	Persil Aloe Vera
Date:	08/01/08 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Same as normal Persil

Disadvantages: Charlatan marketing campaign

Come on Persil, you can't be serious.

Aloe Vera is a plant extract that comes from a spiky plant native to Africa. It's used medicinally to calm skin problems, and to help ease the pain of scrapes, cuts and burns, an effect that may be due to the presence of glycosaminoglycans (long unbranched polysaccharide chains found in connective tissue). It also has laxative effects when taken internally!

However, these effects are present when aloe vera is applied directly to the skin, or taken internally, NOT when a small proportion is added to washing powder, which is then dissolved in litres and litres of water, and whizzed round the drum at high speed. You don't need me to tell you that chance of there being any aloe vera left in your washing at all after this is pretty slender. Common sense says this is just plain Persil - the aloe vera won't be doing anything "extra" at all. Lo and behold, the Advertising Standards Agency have rapped Lever Faberge (makers of Persil) over the knuckles for their ad campaign which suggested that this was somehow kinder to skin than bog standard washing powder.

As you might expect, this washes as well (but not better) than ordinary Persil, and has the same advantages (relatively cheap, does the job) and disadvantages (polluting to the environment). But a major thumbs down for the charlatanry involved in the marketing.

Summary: Don't pay extra for no extra benefit!