Stanford and Nu Skin Enterprises

Nu Skin Enterprises has recently been using a Stanford University researcher’s name throughout its advertising campaign, stating that the researcher is partnered with Nu Skin even though he absolutely is not. After finding out about this information, Stanford University sent a letter directly to Nu Skin Enterprises, telling the company that they need to remove the researchers name from their advertising material. The letter addresses the researcher, Stuart Kim, and speaks of how he is listed as a Nu Skin Partner in specific advertisements even though he is not associated with the company in any way. The letter asks the company, a personal care product company, to take out any references they have made to Stuart Kim from their website by the end of the week.

At one point in time, Kim was collaborating with Nu Skin but that relationship ended last year, back in 2011. Kim says that Nu Skin must have misinterpreted the type of relationship between the two, as they have never funded any of the research he has done at all. A spokesman for Stanford made it clear that the dermatology department for the university does have a relationship with Nu Skin but that Kim is not involved in that relationship, as he currently works in the genetics department.

According to Nu Skin, the relationship with Stanford was first established decades ago, back in 1999. Just three years ago, the company gave $1.5 million to the study related to skin aging. At that point, Kim was involved because his specialty is genetics. While he was originally part of the study, he later left it and two other dermatologists continued to work on the study for Nu Skin without the assistance of Stuart Kim.

In the meantime, along with the drama of including the Stanford University researchers name in advertisements, Nu Skin has also been under fire by Citron, being accused of exaggerating on its claims for all of its products that help with the anti-aging process. If this continues to go on, the company could continue to be scrutinized by the United States Food and Drug Administration and if that ends up happening, the company may end up having to recall some of its anti-aging products that are currently on the market and being sold in areas around the world, including the United States. Citron says that some of Nu Skin’s product could end up being recalled in the United States, especially if the FDA ends up deciding that certain products could be considered to be drugs.