2009 Colon Cleanse and Detox Report
Welcome to ColonCleanseResearch.com, the official review site for detox and cleansing products. This web site was created for you, the consumer, to help you choose the best cleansing program and avoid the all too prevalent scams.
Recently, colon cleansing and detox has become a popular practice for a good reason: it works. It's seen a huge surge in media popularity (thanks to Oprah), recommendation by natural health practitioners and a more health conscious America.
Unfortunately, there are dozens of fly-by-night companies that prey on consumers' ignorance. They claim (of course) to be the best. They happily take your money and send you a mediocre (often completely ineffective) colon cleanser. Don't fall for these scams.
We at ColonCleanseResearch have purchased, tested, rated and reviewed the Top 10 Colon Cleansers.
Each colon cleanser is judged based on these 4 criteria:
- Effectiveness & Safety
We know colon cleansers. We know which ingredients are work, which ones are safe, etc. We also know the sneaky tricks used by all too many companies. For example, some companies like to "Dress the Label." This means they list high quality, effective ingredients, but use such miniscule amounts that there is little to no benefit to the cleansing program. - Company & Guarantee
Don't buy a colon cleanser without a money back guarantee. Only products that work come with money back guarantees. However, deceptive marketers are getting sneakier. Many companies will advertise a money back guarantee, but when you look at the small print, it's only good for 15 days from the date of purchase. When you take transit time into consideration, that leaves you no time to try the product. Since we purchased each cleanser, we were able to put companies' guarantees to the test. We'll let you know which ones live up to their promises. - Consumer Feedback
This is the ultimate test. A company can have beautiful packaging, an excellent web site, low prices, fast shipping and 5 star customer service, but if customers don't like the product, the business is in trouble. Our editors have scoured the Internet for customer reviews. In January of 2009, we added a consumer review forum for each product. - Value
How much "bang for your buck" are you getting? There are colon cleansers that work, but are WAY over priced. Why pay 2, 3 or 4 times as much for a product when there are cheaper--and even better-- alternatives available? We've looked heavily into this issue and assigned value rating for each product.
Top 10 Colon Cleansers
#1 - Colovox
Overall Rating:
Effectiveness and Safety:
Colovox is the most powerful and effective colon cleanser available. It also comes with Puravox (body cleanser) and Immunogest (a pro biotic), making it the most complete detox system available. Our tester, Ashley, used Colovox for 30 days. She lost 14 lbs and also noticed more energy, less acne, normal bowel movements and a flatter tummy.
Company and Guarantee:
Colovox is made and distributed by Colovox Inc. They offer a 100% 90 day money back guarantee. That's the second best guarantee available. Our experience with Colovox was great. Our package was shipped the same day and we received it 2 days later. Although Colovox worked, we tested their guarantee. We returned a completely empty bottle of Colovox, Puravox and Immunogest almost 3 months after purchasing it. 3 days after they received the package our credit card was credit the full purchase price.
Consumer Feedback:
This is where Colovox excelled. We could not find one negative consumer review of Colovox. It's two-step (3 if you get immunogest) is seemingly flawless.
Value:
At first glance $87.95 seems expensive, but the fact is Colovox works. And it works well. It not only cleanses your colon, but it also cleanses your body and restore the necessary "good" bacteria that so many other colon cleanser get rid of.
The Bottom Line...
Colovox is worth a shot. It's a consumer favorite and ranks number two only because it's a bit pricey. (However, keep in mind you usually pay for what you get.) You can get it from $59-$87 direct from the company with a verified 90 day money back guarantee.
#2 - 7 Day Colon Flush
Overall Rating:
Effectiveness and Safety:
7 Day Colon Flush contains a 2960mg blend of potent, safe herbs that remove mucoid plaque from the walls of your intestine. Its main ingredients are Psyllium, Magnesium Oxide, Flax and Fennel. It also contains 34 other ingredients that not only cleanse your colon, but your entire body.
Company and Guarantee:
7 Day Colon Flush has the second best guarantee in the industry. It comes with a 120 day money back guarantee. That's 30 days longer than Colonetix and 60 days longer than Colonix.
Consumer Feedback:
It comes in the the #3 consumer feedback rating. About 88% of the blogs, forums and reviews I read were positive.
Value:
You can buy 7 Day Colon Flush for $21.42 to $29.99, making it the second best value on our 'Top 10 Colon Cleansers' list.
The Bottom Line...
7 Day Colon Flush is worth a try, especially for $21.42 (when you buy 7). It works well and comes with a 120 day money back guarantee.
#3 - Colonetix
Overall Rating:
Effectiveness and Safety:
Colonetix is a two-step program that cleanses your colon and purifies your body. The ingredients are safe and effective. In fact, 11 of the ingredients in the colon cleanse are patented; that's more than any other colon cleanser available. The main problem with Colonetix is the colon cleanser's proprietary blend: there are only 1600mg of ingredients per serving.
Company and Guarantee:
Each bottle of Colonetix comes with a 90 day money back guarantee. This is one of the best guarantees in the industry. 90 days is ample time to try a product and decide if it's right for you. My Colonetix buying experience was pretty good. I received my package in 4 days and have no complaints.
Consumer Feedback:
About 80% of consumer comments I read about Colonetix were positive. Most people agreed that it worked, but a few people complained of nausea. I read of only one consumer who did not get his/her money back.
Value:
Colonetix is a pretty good deal. You can get it for $40 a bottle directly from the company.
The Bottom Line...
Although it's not in our top 3, we still recommend Colonetix. It's a good price with a great guarantee and it works pretty well. However, we strongly believe Colonoxy is a more effective colon cleanser.
#4 - Cleansonix
Overall Rating:
Effectiveness and Safety:
Cleansonix contains a safe, effective proprietary blend proven colon/body cleanse ingredients. In fact, 8 of the ingredients are patented, which is more than any other colon cleansing product out there. Our tester lost 6 pounds and noticed a decrease in headaches and acne.
Company and Guarantee:
There was nothing special about the buying experience with Cleansonix. I bought the product and received it 5 days later. That's the typical online buying experience. One thing that stood out though, was Cleansonix's guarantee: 90 days.
Consumer Feedback:
Consumers like Cleansonix. About 78% of the comments we read were positive. There were only two people who had problems trying to return and that's because they were over the 90 day limit. Honestly, I wish companies would loosen up their return policies and offer a lifetime guarantee.
Value:
You can get Cleansonix for $66-$80 direct from the company. That's a little too pricey for the results you get, but with the 90 day money back guarantee, Cleansonix is a pretty good buy.
The Bottom Line...
With a 90 day money back guarantee, Cleansonix is worth a try. However, there are better colon cleansers available for about half the price.
#5 - Blessed Herbs Colon Cleansing Kit
Overall Rating:
Effectiveness and Safety:
We experienced above average results. Our tester lost 3 pounds and felt better.
Company and Guarantee:
There are a few things I like and dislike about Blessed Herbs. First of all, the packaging is amazing. It also with an nice looking, informative booklet that helps the average person figure out what type of cleanse is right for them. While a nice packaging and good info is nice, there are other (more important) aspects to look at.
Three Major Cons
- It's expensive. A 5 day kit (if using the recommended program) is $89.50. You can find products that last 30 days and work better for about half the price.
- No money back guarantee.
- They offer a free trial. While their free trial program is a lot more ethical than 98% of companies out there, some customers will still feel duped when they realize $99.25 has been charged to their credit card. The terms and conditions are stated on the site, but are really easy to look over and is not highlighted. I do give kudos to them for not enrolling consumers into auto ship programs. Thanks.
Consumer Feedback:
Blessed Herbs has gotten an above average consumer rating. From the forums we check, about 75% of the people liked the kit. The other 25% were mostly upset because they were out almost 100 bucks. If you don't return the package within 21 days, you're stuck with the $100 charge on your credit card.
Value:
There's zero 'bang for your buck' value with Blessed Herbs Colon Cleansing Kit. $88.50 for 5 days is WAY too rich for my blood.
The Bottom Line...
Here's the recap of what you'll get: 5 days of miserable fasting, $88.50 missing from your wallet, decent results and a well-packaged box.
#6 - Colonix
Overall Rating:
Effectiveness and Safety:
Colonix is one of the most popular products on the market. After ordering it (and waiting 9 days for it) we were excited to give it a try. Our first tester didn't like it so much. She actually vomited because the taste was "freakin' vial," as she put it. Our second tester (who has a stronger gag reflex) was able to finish the 30 day cleanse. Although he too complained about the taste, he saw moderately positive results. He lost 5 pounds, felt healthier and had more energy. On some days, however, he felt nauseous.
Company and Guarantee:
Dr. Natura is a well established, reputable company. They offer a 60 day guarantee ( less s/h and return postage). Like other products, we put the guarantee to the test. We emailed them 65 days after the purchase and they refused to refund us. I understand they had every legal right to refuse a refund, but what's 5 days? Especially when the product took 9 days to arrive. I've found a number of similar complaints in various forums as well. So be careful.
Consumer Feedback:
There are a lot of convincing "verified" testimonials on Dr Natura's web site But who cares about that? Of course they're going to show off the good comments. We scoured colon cleansing forums and found out that the success rate is about 66%. So 6-7 out of every 10 people experienced like Colonix. Not bad.
Value:
Colonix is expensive at $88 a kit. If it worked amazingly well, it may be worth the price. There are price breaks if you order more than one bottle, which is great.
The Bottom Line...
Again, Colonix is expensive at $88 a kit. You can find better products for less than half the price. If you do decide to try Colonix, and you don't like it, make sure you return it within 60 days; they're sticklers over there.
#7 - Perfect Cleanse
Overall Rating:
Effectiveness and Safety:
Garden of Life's Perfect Cleanse is not so perfect. It's neither bad nor good. Some users will see results, but most will not. We purchased Perfect Cleanse and concurred that it's basically a glorified laxative. Not just that, but we actually experience some bad side effects (nausea).
Company and Guarantee:
Garden of Life has been busted by the FDA in the past for some of their weight loss products. They've learned to be less "claimy" and are definitely a better company in result. Their web site is great. It's got a lot of information on how Perfect Cleanse works. I don't like how they don't sell Perfect Cleanse. Many companies sell direct (Colonoxy, Colovox, Colonix, to name a few) and this drastically reduces the price by cutting out the middle man (GNC, VitaCost, etc). No wonder why a 10 day supply costs $30. That's $90 a month!
One reason for our low score of 79 is that there is NO money back guarantee. The only reason a company would not offer a money back guarantee is because they'd lose money. They'd only lose money if customers didn't like the product. Customers generally don't like products because they don't work.
Consumer Feedback:
Reviews were almost split: 55% positive and 45% negative.The negative ones had the same complaints as us: nausea, diarrhea and lack of results. Furthermore, a lot of customers complained about the bad taste of step 2, Capture. Most of the positive comments were about the simplicity of Perfect Cleanse; how it doesn't require a lifestyle change and lasts only 10 days.
Value:
At first glance, Perfect cleanse seems cheap. You can get it from $25-$30. But keep in mind that only lasts 10 days. Most Cleansing products last a month, so don't let price fool you.
The Bottom Line...
Perfect Cleanse is another over-priced, under performing colon cleanser. If there was a money back guarantee, it may be worth a shot, but it's too much of a gamble without one.
#8 - Bowtrol
Overall Rating:
Effectiveness and Safety:
I've got good news and bad news about Bowtrol. The good news is it's safe. The bad news is it doesn't work very well. Each serving only contains 450mg of 15 ingredients. Some of the ingredients such as Cascara Sagrada and Flax are great, but there's not enough in Bowtrol to make it an effective colon cleanser. However, it may be a good, but expensive laxative.
Company and Guarantee:
Other than their mediocre product, Bowtrol is a good company. My experience with the customer service department was good. If you do order the free trial, it will be easy to cancel. However, we don't recommend it because it is SO easy to forget.
There is a 90 day return policy, which we did take advantage of. We received our refund in approximately 14 days from when we sent it back. The only money we lost out on was on shipping (both ways).
Consumer Feedback:
The consumer reviews were mixed. It was difficult to tell which comments were fake and which ones were real. Overall, there were too many negative comments to give bowtrol a good score.
Value:
Bowtrol is too much money for what you get. It would be worth getting if it was $3-$4 and you need a laxative. I bumped the value score because a guarantee is offered and honored.
The Bottom Line...
You'll probably need the guarantee. Before you buy it, ask yourself if its worth a month of wasted time. Probably not. There are other $40 colon cleansers out there that work a lot better.
#9 - Bromalite
Overall Rating:
Effectiveness and Safety:
Bromalite's web site states "clean and flush pounds of toxic waste that is weighing you down." That's far from the truth. It does contain some healthy ingredients, such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Mangosteen, but nothing that will flush "pounds of toxic waste" from your colon. As you can see, we purchased Bromalite . We tried it out and experienced no results.
Company and Guarantee:
Bromalite is only available through a so-called free trial program. This is legal, but it borders unethical. Bromalite is one of the better companies offering this program, however. They clearly state the terms and conditions on their web site, directly above the "Rush My Trial' button. Kudos to them for that, but there is still no way I'd ever do a free trial program. I bought my bottle on eBay, where sellers don't have access to your credit card info and can't enroll you in an auto ship program.
Another negative about Bromalite is that they don't offer a money back guarantee. Some may consider the "free" trial better than a money back guarantee, but it's not. More often than not, these are difficult to cancel. If you don't cancel in the allotted 12 day period, your "free" bottle will end up costing you a non-refundable $69.95. So be careful.
Consumer Feedback:
I didn't find one positive consumer review about Bromalite. Instead, I found hundreds negative reviews on "RipOffReport" type web sites. Here's an example of one:
"Signed up for a free trial. I started getting charges on my debit card for 70.00. I called the customer service # and was told that I would be taken off of the offer I supposedly signed up for. A month later I was charged 70.00 again, and received another bottle of this stuff I wouldn't take. I'm 140.00 bucks down for nothing. This is making me very agree. Only one income now and I cant afford this bill."
Value:
Bromalite may seem like a steal. You get a 30 day trial for "free." But let's get real...nothing is free. Your credit card will be charged $69.95 after the 12 day free trial, every 30 days until you cancel. And if you're like the guy above, you'll call cancel, and possibly still receive shipments and even worse, $70 added to your credit card bills a month.
The Bottom Line...
We don't recommend Bromalite. It's a sub par product that is over priced. If you do decide to buy Bromalite - for whatever crazy reason - we recommend buying it on eBay like we did.