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SidDithers

(44,228 posts)
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 09:41 AM Aug 2014

The makers of Harmonized Water (a.k.a. drinkable sunscreen) do a “clinical trial.” Hilarity ensues.

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2014/08/06/the-makers-of-harmonized-water-a-k-a-drinkable-sunscreen-do-a-clinical-trial-hilarity-ensues/

It's a Wednesday Dose of Woo, from Orac.



About a week ago, my good bud Steve Novella noted a tasty bit of silly pseudoscience finding its way around the usual places, such as Facebook, Twitter, and the like. It was one of those times where I smacked myself on the forehead (metaphorically speaking, of course) and asked, “How on earth did I miss this bit of pseudoscience?” It is, after all, more than Your Friday Dose of Woo-worthy, even though I haven’t done a YFDoW segment for over a year. (Remember, I found that my creation had become too constraining; so I retired it. I might bring it back someday, but today is not the day, obviously, because it’s Wednesday, not Friday.) In any case, Steve had fun with something called Harmonized Water by Osmosis Skin Care.

The website claimed these sorts of miraculous properties for its “drinkable sunscreen”:

- A new technology that imprints frequencies as “standing waves” onto water molecules.
- The ability to “stack” thousands of frequencies onto one molecule, for better “healing” effect
- Revolutionary formula that allows Osmosis Skin Care to reverse engineer the frequencies of substances found in nature and/or the human body.
- Recently identified frequencies that have beneficial effects on the body.


As Steve noted, if all these claims were true, and “Harmonized Water” could do all the things claimed for it, in particular to “vibrate above the skin to neutralize UVA and UVB, creating protection comparable to an SPF 30,” the creators of this magical water would be in serious consideration for a Nobel Prize. When you look at the ingredients listed, they’re listed as “Distilled Water and Multiple Vibrational Frequency Blends,” whatever that means, and the company claims that “similar to how noise reduction headphones work, these waters cancel out UV rays by delivering targeted wave patterns to the skin in the form of water.” So what’s more likely, that this company has made a Nobel Prize-worthy discovery and is marketing it as a “drinkable sunscreen” or that Harmonized Water is complete and total pseudoscience? I mean, come on!

I think you know the answer to that one.


More hilarity at link.

Sid
24 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The makers of Harmonized Water (a.k.a. drinkable sunscreen) do a “clinical trial.” Hilarity ensues. (Original Post) SidDithers Aug 2014 OP
every bit as believable as homeopathy. n/t eShirl Aug 2014 #1
Homeopathy taken to its logical extreme. MineralMan Aug 2014 #2
Oh boy... Agschmid Aug 2014 #3
I change the sig frequently, as the mood strikes... SidDithers Aug 2014 #5
I'd like to see someone drink that and then go out in the TX sun for about 6 hours. hobbit709 Aug 2014 #4
reminds me of a guy who tried to sell me a water bottle with 'programmed glass' NightWatcher Aug 2014 #6
Snake oil has gone high-tech... SidDithers Aug 2014 #7
I wonder what happens if you put Crazy Water in a Flaska bottle? Buns_of_Fire Aug 2014 #22
Multiple Vibrational Frequency Blends - been done already. Rex Aug 2014 #8
'84. Wow. Must be the vibrational frequencies that give it the realistic orange flavour... SidDithers Aug 2014 #9
Always wanted to do that, looks like a real blast! Rex Aug 2014 #14
No waves on the little cottage lake... SidDithers Aug 2014 #15
Your new gif has me lmao! Rex Aug 2014 #16
"Scalar" is the new "quantum"? Dammit! My bet was on "nano". DetlefK Aug 2014 #10
Maybe The WooWoo Credo needs to be updated... SidDithers Aug 2014 #12
'scalar waves' were a fashionable explanation for evil earthquake weapons muriel_volestrangler Aug 2014 #23
An oldie but a goodie on the claims of "Clustered Water" derby378 Aug 2014 #11
Thanks for that. Will read it later... SidDithers Aug 2014 #13
You know what burns my ass? riqster Aug 2014 #17
Must be what Will Ferrell was drinking here... SidDithers Aug 2014 #18
Ummm....wow. Snake oil salesmen! Avalux Aug 2014 #19
"Drinkable sunscreen" fails miserably. Archae Aug 2014 #20
Lots... SidDithers Aug 2014 #24
When I used to be in a barbershop quartet in Skokie, Illinois we only drank harmonized water pinboy3niner Aug 2014 #21

Agschmid

(28,749 posts)
3. Oh boy...
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 09:46 AM
Aug 2014

And just because I normally post on mobile and never see your sig line... I choose TRANNY. Enough said.

SidDithers

(44,228 posts)
5. I change the sig frequently, as the mood strikes...
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 09:47 AM
Aug 2014

but that Teabagger moran sign was just too delicious to pass up.



Sid

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)
4. I'd like to see someone drink that and then go out in the TX sun for about 6 hours.
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 09:47 AM
Aug 2014

Want to bet on whether or not they would resemble a boiled lobster.

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)
6. reminds me of a guy who tried to sell me a water bottle with 'programmed glass'
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 09:53 AM
Aug 2014

The shape of the glass was supposed to reprogram the structure of the water to remove the bad vibrations from traveling through pipes.

I am not going to buy a glass water bottle for $35 that is supposed to modify the structure of the water.



"When water comes into contact with glass programmed in this manner, information is transferred onto it through the quantum electrodynamic oscillations of coherent domains in the glass"

With the Flaska bottle, we bring the vibrational structure of water closer to the structure of spring water, i.e. water in its natural environment - this is called water structuring. Using TPS (technology of programming silicon), a vibrational programme consisting of various kinds of information from nature is imprinted into the glass.



http://www.flaska.eu/water-structuring-with-flaska

And remember...


Do not wash your Flaska bottle in a dishwasher or leave it in the direct vicinity of devices which emit strong electromagnetic radiation (e.g. a working microwave oven, a mobile or wireless phone during active talking).
The vibrational structuring of water begins immediately after water is poured into the Flaska bottle — wait at least five minutes to ensure full effect.
Before drinking, shake the Flaska bottle a couple of times. Water “loves” motion, and the effect of vibrational structuring will increase, as the coherent domains will expand and strengthen

SidDithers

(44,228 posts)
9. '84. Wow. Must be the vibrational frequencies that give it the realistic orange flavour...
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 10:01 AM
Aug 2014

Riding those cats in those waves looks like fun, tho.

A friend has an old Hobie Cat 18, that we go out on once in a while, and that thing just flies across the water.

Sid

SidDithers

(44,228 posts)
15. No waves on the little cottage lake...
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 10:12 AM
Aug 2014

but there's not many things more fun than going really fast under wind-power.

I'll stick with regular sunscreen though.

Sid

SidDithers

(44,228 posts)
12. Maybe The WooWoo Credo needs to be updated...
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 10:05 AM
Aug 2014
http://www.insolitology.com/tests/credo.htm

#10 - Use the word quantum in a sentence, despite not knowing what it means. For a more impressive effect, use it with the name of your favorite superstition - "quantum dowsing" sure sounds mighty serious



Sid

muriel_volestrangler

(101,336 posts)
23. 'scalar waves' were a fashionable explanation for evil earthquake weapons
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 11:53 AM
Aug 2014

Read this DU thread, weep, and be thankful the admins decided nonsense about the evil USA setting off quakes around the world was woo beyond the bounds of even 'Creative Speculation': http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x960877

Avalux

(35,015 posts)
19. Ummm....wow. Snake oil salesmen!
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 10:54 AM
Aug 2014

They gave their product to some people, exposed them to UV light and took some photos and are now claiming they did an RCT. Here's how it should have been done:

1. Screen and select subjects based upon criteria that will ensure uniformity, i.e. half male and half female with the same skin type (use the fitzpatrick scale).
2. 1:1 ratio randomization of subjects to receive either product or a placebo.
3. Baseline skin assessment by clinician.
3. Baseline photos.
4. Dose subjects with products, expose each to UV light (identical voltage and time) at the same anatomical location.
5. After exposure photos.
6. After exposure skin assessment by clinician.
7. Compare results of skin assessments between the two groups.

The photos are merely a visual and shouldn't be presented as 'results'. The skin assessment would be done with a standardized scale so that the results can be analyzed.

The manufacturers of this product know it's woo and know a real study would never prove it works, so they made crap up. Unfortunately, some people won't know the difference.

Archae

(46,340 posts)
20. "Drinkable sunscreen" fails miserably.
Wed Aug 6, 2014, 11:00 AM
Aug 2014

"Surprise, surprise, surprise!"

I wonder how many skin cancers and bad sunburns will happen due to this bullshit.

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