THINgloss Lip Gloss and Weight Loss. Fact or Fiction?

Ladies have you heard of THINgloss lip gloss? It’s a lip gloss that’s said to help you lose weight! I admit, I never heard of THINgloss until I watched an episode of the TV show Shark Tank. THINgloss was featured on Shark Tank on 4/15/11. THINgloss is made by Express Effects Cosmetics. The founder of Express Effects is April Morris, who appeared on Shark Tank.  I’m not an expert on cosmetics but I am aware of the main weight loss ingredient in THINgloss, so let me review the facts so can sort the wheat from chaff.

What’s in THINgloss lip gloss?

When April Morris appeared on Shark Tank, she said that THINgloss contained hoodia.  Hoodia is a cactus like plant that grows in Africa and it shows up in many weight loss supplements. Here’s why.  It appears that when people eat the root of the hoodia plant, it curbs their appetite. People don’t spread hoodia on their lips. They eat the root.  When it comes to hoodia here are some facts:

Fact. There is no published scientific proof that hoodia causes weight loss in people

Fact. There is no published scientific proof that putting hoodia on the lips causes weight loss in people

To me, the idea of spreading hoodia on the lips sounds somewhat similar to another product I reviewed called the Hoodia Patch.

Here is another fact. Curbing  is not the same as weight loss. Remember this fact because the people who sell hoodia never tell you this.

Also, the people in African who eat the hoodia root are skinny. They don’t need to lose weight. They would eat hoodia to curb their appetite while they ran around the desert all day looking for food.

I’ve already written about the facts of hoodia and weight loss . Hoodia is also found in many weight loss supplements. One of which I reviewed recently is Healthe Trim

THINgloss also contains Kola nut. Kola nut has caffeine. Would caffeine in a lip gloss raise metabolic rate or help you burn more calories?  I don’t know if it would or wouldn’t but that’s why I think kola nut is in THINgloss. Kola nut is also found in many weight loss supplements including Lipozene.

THINgloss is also “infused with vibrational healing energies to uplift your spirits”. Huh? What are “vibrational healing energies”? This phrase makes no sense and since Express Effects doesn’t define what this means, I would not pay any attention to this claim.

THINgloss also contains various good smelling oils which are said to elevate our mood. This is the basis of aromatherapy.  I could not determine what aromatherapy oils are in THINgloss.

April Morris on Shark Tank

When April Morris appeared on Shark Tank she was looking for $80,000 in exchange for a 5% stake in Express Effects. None of  entrepreneurs on Shark Tank was willing to get her any money. The main reason cited was the implied claim that Thin Gloss can help people lose weight.

The “Sharks” knew, that that Express Effects is potentially skating on thin ice with the FDA by implying that THINgloss lip gloss will help people lose weight. Even the way the product is spelled – “THINgloss” – emphases the notion that this lip gloss will help weight lose.

The THINgloss exercise program

On the Express Effects website, no weight loss proof is given that THINgloss  helps people lose weight. Instead, there is a “Meet the Experts” page. One of the experts is  personal trainer Tony Wuebker. Tony is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the same organization I am affiliated with. On his website Tony has a couple of THINgloss circuit training exercise videos.

While I like the idea of circuit training, the circuits, Tony shows last only about 12 minutes, which is far less than the 60-90 minutes now recommended for weight loss. In addition, some of exercises Tony demonstrates are extremely challenging for beginners and are not appropriate for everyone, especially people who have:

• low back injuries
• knee injuries
• balance problems
• osteoporosis
• neck injuries
• shoulder injuries
• heart disease
• and arthritis to name a few

I would much rather people take a 60 minute walk than do the THINgloss exercises that I saw.

How much does THINgloss lip gloss cost?

While on Shark Tank April Morris stated THINgloss retails for $28. You can get it cheaper on the Express Effects  website (ExpressEffects.com).  April also stated that she has lost 18 pounds over the last 2 years while using THINgloss. That’s 9 pounds a year or about 3/4 lb per month.

Let’s assume for a moment that April’s weight loss is similar what you might experience if you used THINgloss. Let’s also assume that a tube of lip gloss will last 1 month and each tube costs $20. That’s 12 lip gloss tubes a year for a total of 12 x $20 =$240 / year.  If you did this for 2 years, that’s $480.

What do you think?