Hair Care Product Claims 496 As highlighted in Chapter 8, strength and anti-breakage claims arise through lubrication, rather than any actual alteration of tensile properties. Therefore, any treatment that lubricates the hair surface—such as a conditioner, or 2-in-1 shampoo—could legitimately use a variation of the above claim. Obviously, the same cannot be said for conventional, non-lubricating shampoos. However, it can be argued that such a claim can still be valid if the shampoo and conditioner products are used together as a system. That is, claims related to lubrication may still be used, with clarification pertaining to the use of the combined regimen. This is referred to as a system claim, and is generally considered legitimate in the United States, where a high incidence of conditioner usage occurs. While these claims all relate to true benefits of the products, it is also common to see so-called ingredient claims based upon the inclusion of supposedly beneficial ingredients (although often these materials will be present at concentrations way below any functional level). Thus, it may be possible to show that soaking hair in a concentrated solution of a botanical extract yields some technical alteration in properties, but it is very different to believe a shampoo or conditioner containing a tiny quantity of this material provides the same benefit. Most often these ingredients are included to provide fodder for a marketing story. Finding new and compelling stories for conventional hair care products is difficult, and so a frequently employed strategy involves touting the importance of an ingredient (or ingredients) and building a brand story around the material. Claims Substantiation The claims process involves attempts at communicating technical benefits to the customer in their own language. However, all too often this process can involve twisting the meaning of data in an attempt to tell pie-in-the-sky stories based around well-known need- gaps in the industry. Of course, hair care products provide definite benefits in terms of everyday grooming and maintenance practices.