New & Improved.....

Whenever I see those words on a product I've been using for a long time I get suspicious. And my suspicions have usually been founded.

Take the soap I've used for years. I've always liked it because it was easy to rinse off, it's antibacterial and the shape fit in my hand just right. A couple years ago they decided to change the shape. And it always slipped out of my hand. I tried other soaps but never found one I liked. So I went back to my old soap with the new shape. It still slips out of my hand but I just can't afford to try other soaps until I find one I like.

The same thing happened with an eyeshadow base I had been using for years. It worked perfect. Then the company changed it so it wasn't on a stick anymore. I tried using it for awhile but gave up because it just didn't do the job anymore. So I found a product to replace it that worked really well. The only place to buy it was at J.C. Penney. There's no Penney's on Kauai. I was able to get it once when I was on Oahu at their store at Ala Moana. That has since closed. Now the only place I can find it is on the internet.

The latest incident of product improvement is the shampoo I use. Once again, it worked perfect on my hair. Recently the packaging changed and the container sports a brightly printed "New Formula" slogan on it. Huh? What was wrong with the old formula? It couldn't have been changed because of sagging sales. There were times when I couldn't even find it on the shelf. Nonetheless, for some reason, companies feel compelled to periodically "update" their product. I've tried the "New Formula" shampoo and they are right. It is a new formula because it's much harder to rinse out of my hair. It feels creamier. And I don't like as much. So I guess I'll be trying out other shampoos until I find one I like which I'll probably use until it gets "improved" then I'll have to find another one and the cycle will just continue to repeat itself.

I have a message for companies out there:

IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT!!!!!