The US Federal Trade Commission has ruled that L’Occitane must refunds 10,000 customers as a result of misleading marketing.

L’Occitane claimed that skin creams Almond Beautiful Shape and Almond Shaping Delight had clinically proven body-slimming properties.

In the brand’s 2012 advertising campaign for the products, which retail at US$48, it was claimed that the creams could “trim 1.3 inches in just 4 weeks” and had “clinically proven slimming effectiveness” along with the ability to “visibly refine and reshape the silhouette, to re-sculpt and tone the body contours.”

Following the FTC’s investigation, L’Occitane has been ordered to remove false claims from product descriptions and mail cheques to consumers refunding them for the amount spent on the products.

The settlement is part of ‘Operation Failed Resolution’, a broader FTC investigation into the marketing practices associated with products and services that promote easy weight loss and slimmer bodies.   Several companies and products have also been targeted including Sensa marketers, HCG Diet Direct and LeanSpa.