This article is reprinted with permission from Natural Healing Today magazine
Colon Cleanse Product Reviews
Top colon cleansing products reviewed by the Editorial Staff of Natural Healing Today,
based on ingredients, effectiveness, safety and value
There are dozens of products that claim to cleanse the colon, but when you begin a more thorough search, you realize that there are only a handful with the right ingredients, combination and quality to be effective. Even fewer products have adequate independent customer feedback to validate the company’s claims. Every company likes to say they have the best and easiest colon cleansing program, but at the end the real measure of the effectiveness and safety of a product comes from what actual customers are reporting.
Most Popular Colon Cleansers
In this review, we will briefly describe some of the most popular colon cleansing programs, listed according to their ratings. We used the following criteria to determine the rating of each product:
1) Effectiveness and safety based on ingredients
We compared the ingredients, as well as the combination and effectiveness of each ingredient according to industry standard reference manuals and the latest research in the field of natural medicine. We also evaluated the recommended dose and length of each program. Based on ourpersonal experiences, and supported by most detox experts, a one or two-week program is simply not sufficient, considering thefact that it took years or decades to accumulate all the toxins in the colon and in other parts of the body.A more realistic approach takes at least 30 days and up to 6 months, or even longer, depending on the level of toxicity in one’s body.
2) Effectiveness and safety based on customer feedback
This is perhaps the most important factor as the ultimate testament to the effectiveness of any product comes from satisfied and happy customers. You can have a seemingly comprehensive formula, perfect marketing and packaging, great customer service, but if the product doesn’t work, it’s still a waste of money. The perfect colon cleansing program will work for the majority of the people, most of the time. We spent a great deal of time searching the websites of the manufacturers and distributors of all the products reviewed. We also read through blogs, forums and customer testimonials related to each program in order to reach our conclusion.
3) Trust Factor & Guarantee
Some of the factors considered for this category were:
- Type of guarantee offered to dissatisfied customers
- Length of the money back guarantee (30 days, 60 days, etc.), if any
- How long the company’s been in business
- Disclosure of guarantee, ingredients, directions and other essential info on website
- Toll free number and physical address listed on the website (instead of a P.O. box #)
- Secure order form (We were shocked to see that some websites still don’t have this!)
- Medical and professional endorsements
4) Value for the Price
We don’t think a large emphasis has to be placed on the price factor as long as a program is reasonably affordable. The average price range for colon cleansing programs is between $50 to $100. Anything less than this we’d consider suspiciously cheap (where did they cut corners to achieve the low price and what is the quality of the ingredients used), and anything above $100 we’d consider expensive. We considered not only the price of a program but also how many products are included, the length of the program, the number of ingredients and dosage, shipping charges, etc.
Rating System
For each category we’ve used a simple rating of one to five stars, with five being the best.
(These reviews were written in July 2006, and last updated on March 31, 2009.)
#1 – Colonix Program by DrNatura.com
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
The more than 40 herbal ingredients used in the Colonix ® formula are proven effective for colon cleansing. The fiber in this kit is in a powder form which is more effective than capsules or tablets. The capsules in the anti-parasite component are vegetarian, not gelatin.
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
We looked hard to find another natural product site with as many testimonials as DrNatura. When it comes to customer feedback and satisfaction, Colonix is the indisputable winner of the lot. |
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
60-day unconditional money-back guarantee with a free shipping option. Policies are clearly defined, including a hassle-free return policy. Company information is easy to find, even photos of customer service personnel are shown on the website. Live customer support is available seven days a week.
Value for the Price:
Their pricing of $55 to $88 per one-month kit for a three-step program is reasonable and a good value for the money. Extra points were earned for free shipping. (Pricing depends on how many packs you buy at the same time.)
Verdict: This product has it all. It’s a well balanced, easy-to-use colon cleanse formula that also happens to taste good. There’s no other colon cleanser in existence with so much positive user feedback. We have personally examined DrNatura’s testimonial files and can verify their authenticity. We have also used the program several times with excellent results. The company has been around since 1998 with a solid track record. It has the most visited, easy to navigate website with a lot of good information. Its products are endorsed by several doctors. In our opinion, Colonix is the #1 colon cleanser on the market today.
#2 – The Perfect Cleanse by Garden of Life
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
Good combination of ingredients contained in three separate products. The first one, Purify, cleanses your liver, Step 2, Capture, is a fiber to detoxify your colon and Step 3, Remove, supports your body during toxin removal. The capsules used in Purify and Remove are vegetarian, not gelatin.
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
Perfect Cleanse Kit is a new product recently introduced by Garden of Life. There are very few testimonials to be found about it anywhere on the Internet. We assume customer feedback will grow in quantity as this is a promising cleansing kit. |
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
Perfect Cleanse is made by Garden of Life that has achieved a good reputation in the natural health field due to its high-quality products. Since this product is sold mostly through retail, we were not able to find anyone that gave a money-back guarantee. On the product’s packaging or its website there’s no mention of a satisfaction guarantee.
Value for the Price:
At around $20.00 a pack, the Perfect Cleanse is good value for the money, but it is only a 10-day program. If we multiplied the price by 3 to make it into a 30-day program, its price would also reflect to the average price range of other cleansing programs.
Verdict: The Perfect Cleanse is a good short term cleanse with a solid company behind it. We feel that a thorough cleanse will take at least 30 days or longer to achieve, but this is a good start. There is no money-back guarantee.
#3 – Puristat by Abbott Industries
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
Good formula sold in tablet and caplet form. Tablets are the cheapest to make, the heat involved in the process can destroy nutrients, and tablets are harder to absorb than powders, capsules or liquids.
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
There are numerous success stories posted on Puristat’s website. |
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
Points lost for the 30-day money back guarantee and no free shipping, while standard shipping cost is a bit pricey at $9.95.
Value for the Price:
A 21-day cleanse costs $114.95, which means that a 30-day cleanse would cost about $165. This is double the average. The good news is that this package now also includes a one month supply of digestive enzymes, probiotics and digestive nutrients.
Verdict: Puristat has an informative, professional-looking website, but their products are on the expensive side. We also don’t like the fact that they claim to cleanse your colon with a combination of two products only in 7, 14 or 21 days. We feel that a thorough cleanse will take much longer than that even with a more comprehensive program.
#4 – Colpurin ™ by Huntington Nutraceuticals
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
The formula looks good, but they use gelatin capsules, which is ironic in a cleansing/detox product since gelatin is made from by-products of the meat and leather industry, mainly pork skins, pork and cattle bones, or split cattle hides. We think that ANY dietary supplement, but especially cleansing products, should only be sold in vegetarian capsules.
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
At the time of our last update, there were only a dozen very short testimonials available on Colpurin’s website. This is not encouraging and hasn't changed much in numbers in the last couple of years. |
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
The refund policy is not consumer friendly. A 25% administrative processing fee is calculated against the total cost of all opened products being returned and shipping costs are also deducted from the refund.
Value for the Price:
For a two-step program, the price is on the high end. Standard shipping is $6.95 or free for orders over $75.00. With so little customer feedback real value is hard to establish.
Verdict: Colpurin seems to be a good formula marketed in a way that casts doubts in the consumer. Their multi-step refund policy cannot be called hassle-free and there may be a hefty administrative fee.
#5 – Enuvia by Enuvia Research LLC
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
It contains most of the important herbs and nutrients used in cleansing, however it is in the less effective tablet form and this formula also contains bentonite. (See aluminum issue at the Almighty Cleanse kit.)
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
The testimonial page is just as bad as Dual Action Cleanse’s (See further down.) Six short testimonials with no real details, which as far as we’re concerned could have been written by anyone. There have been no new testimonials added since we first wrote this review in 2006. Their rating is a dismal 1 1/2 stars on Amazon. |
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
They have a secure order form but no contact information, company address or any mention of a money back guarantee. (They used to have a "conditional" 90-day money back guarantee, which is no longer on the website.)
Value for the Price:
You get three products for $49.95. No free shipping, though the $4.80 shipping cost is reasonable.
Verdict: Besides the short testimonials on Enuvia’s website, we found some others on Amazon that give it an average of 1 1/2 stars. That’s very poor performance for any product, let alone one that you put in your mouth. In case you’re contemplating ordering this product, make sure to read these reviews first and beware of their auto-ship program.
#6 – Regulux by Doctor Newton's (MediaPower, Inc.)
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
The formula contains many of the essential ingredients for colon cleansing, such as Psyllium, Black Walnut and Senna, but this company also uses gelatin capsules which are normally made from by-products of the meat and leather industry, mainly pork skins, pork and cattle bones, or split cattle hides.
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
At the time of writing this review, we could not find any user testimonials or feedback on Regulux’s website, or anywhere else about this product. Hopefully, this will change in the future. |
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
Company offers a 30-day guarantee only. Returns are made harder by having to obtain a Return Authorization Number before returns are accepted. Customer service is not available on weekends.
Value for the Price:
For a two-step program, $79.95 is a pretty high price to pay. Free shipping is offered on orders over $129.00. With no customer feedback real value is hard to establish.
Verdict: Though the makers of Regulux are using the right ingredients, this product is expensive for a two-step program. The biggest drawback, however, is that there’s no user feedback on this product at all.
#7 – Bowtrol by Ultra Herbal
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
Bowtrol contains some good ingredients for colon cleansing, however, it also contains Cascara Sagrada which should not be used for more than seven days at a time and Bentonite Clay which may contain aluminum. Bowtrol is a single-product colon cleanser and lacks many of the essential colon cleansing ingredients found in other more comprehensive programs.
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
There are only four testimonials on Bowtrol’s website supporting the product and some new video testimonials that were recently added. In the past couple of years we have received numerous emails from customers with negative feedback about Bowtrol and its refund policy. (Please see comments below.) |
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
The company tells you that you can safely take Bowtrol for the rest of your life, without any regard for the fact that some of the ingredients can be dangerous when taken in the long-term. There is no contact information or address for the company anywhere on the website, other than an 800 number for order taking only. Bowtrol has a 90-day return policy with a catch: The product must be UNUSED and UNOPENED and there's a $5.00 restocking fee for each bottle you return. From Bowtrol's website: "We do not accept items back that have been opened or used. Opened Items are Non Refundable." What kind of a return policy is that? If you try it and don't like it, "too bad!"? “In addition, you must obtain an RMA” when returning products. According to Bowtrol’s Return Policy. “You will receive your RMA via email once our customer service department has identified your eligibility for a return under our policy. Please do not call for an RMA. If you return your product without a RMA number you will not be refunded.” And if you place a Club Discount auto shipment order, you’re completely out of luck because “auto shipment orders are non refundable “. The trust factor won’t be enhanced by this part of Bowtrol’s Privacy Policy either: “…the information we collect from you is shared with our marketing partners or other third parties. We may use the personal information that you supply to us and we may work with other third parties to bring selected retail opportunities to you via direct mail, email and telemarketing. Bowtrol Colon Cleanse may sell or rent aggregated statistical information and user, member or former member specific information, including name, address, telephone number and payment information, to our marketing partners or other third-parties.”
Value for the Price:
A one-month supply of Bowtrol is $39.95 + $7.95 for shipping, but do keep in mind that this is for a single product only and not a colon cleansing package. The good news is that you do receive some bogus, over-valued free bonuses if you also want to lose weight. Discounts and free bottles of Bowtrol are available when ordering more. For example, if you order 4, you get 2 free – BUT – keep in mind that you will be charged the $5.00 restocking fee for each bottle (including the free bonus bottles) you receive, so they’re not really “free”. Also, you can't return any opened products so if you try the product and don't like it, you're simply out of luck. Shipping is also non-refundable. So if you happen to order 4 bottles of Bowtrol and receive 6 for $179.90 ($159.95 + $19.95 S&H), and you’re dissatisfied with the product, you can only return unused bottles and even those with a restocking fee. This kind of policy assures that Bowtrol cannot lose even if most of their customers should request a refund!
Verdict: Based on the lack of company contact info on their site, the complicated and gimmicky return policy (they used to have a 30-day money back guarantee with a $10 restocking fee for each bottle for opened products but that is not available any more, the question is WHY?) Along with the disclosure of private customer information for “direct mail, email and telemarketing”, as well as their auto-ship program, all we can say is: “Buyer beware”!
#8 – Dual Action Cleanse by Cellular Research
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
The formula seems to have the right ingredients, however it’s sold in tablets. Tablets are the cheapest to make, the heat involved in the process can destroy nutrients, and tablets are much harder to absorb than powders, capsules or liquids.
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
This product has the most pathetic ‘Success Stories’ page we’ve ever seen. Four very short quotes with no names, dates or other details. (As we are doing our update two years after the original review, the situation is still the same. No additional testimonials have been added. Not one!). |
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
The company doesn’t have an explicit money-back guarantee on their site. After a lot of searching, we finally found it hidden in their Terms and Conditions. They list a PO Box as their address which is NEVER a good sign.
Value for the Price:
The basic kit of two products costs $59.90 but if you want the more effective ‘maximizer’ kit then you have to come up with $129.80. The catch is that they'll keep sending you the products automatically every 60 days and charging your credit card, whether you want them to or not. Everybody who places an order is automatically enrolled in their auto-ship program.
Verdict: Based on the above, we wouldn’t buy anything on this website or from this company. There are a lot of complaints sent in by unhappy customers about Dual Action Cleanse to the website InfomercialScams.com
#9 – Almighty Cleanse by ITV
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
We have a concern about the bentonite clay used in the Formula Two powder. Though bentonite is a common ingredient in detox products, some people may not be aware of bentonite’s aluminum content. One of the main reasons for cleansing is to remove harmful heavy metals from the body not to ingest them. Until proven completely harmless, we wouldn’t use bentonite as part of a cleansing program, especially when there are so many alternatives.
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
No feedback or testimonials can be found at all. |
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
The company doesn’t list any contact details such as an address or email address, only a toll-free number is given on their site. There’s no guarantee listed, and their order pages were just made secure recently! Here are some complaints on InfomercialScams.com.
Value for the Price:
Hard to determine as it’s not explained what’s included in a ‘season’.
Verdict: Based on the information on the company’s website at www.AlmightyCleanse.com, it’s hard to see why anyone would pay this company from $79.95 to $209.85 for their product plus $9.95 for shipping when they fail to give you:
- Details about the product, including price breakdowns
- A written guarantee and return policy
- Contact details
- Customer feedback
Also beware of their auto-shipment program. You might be signed up automatically when ordering.
#10 – Evercleanse by Hindsight Nutritional
Overall Rating:
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Effectiveness and safety
based on ingredients:
Not only are the ingredients not listed on the website, we were shocked to see that they weren’t listed on the label either. The label simply said: Other Ingredients: Resistant maltodextrin (soluble dietary fiber). If there are main ingredients that are not listed, then this is not only illegal but dangerous to those with potential allergies. Yet the Supplement Facts panel of Evercleanse lists no main ingredients, only 'other' ingredients.
If Evercleanse does, in fact, only contain maltodextrin, which is used as a food additive and binding agent, then how can this product be called a 'cleanse'? An internal cleanse would require soluble and insoluble fiber as well as numerous additional ingredients. Otherwise anything could be called a cleanse. We reluctantly tried Evercleanse for two weeks and have to report that the product had no effect on our bowels at all. |
Note to our readers: We think that any company that is not willing to list the ingredients of a product that it expects you to put inside your body should be approached with great caution, or not approached at all! If you're in the market for maltodextrin, you can get a pound for about a dollar, or 5 oz. (the quantity in an Evercleanse jar) for 30 cents. And not $59.95 that Evercleanse charges.
Note to the makers on Evercleanse: We welcome clarification about your ingredients.
Effectiveness and safety
based on customer feedback:
Evercleanse does not list any testimonials on its website. After searching the web for customer feedback, we found only negative comments, such as bloating, burning feeling, constipation, bad customer service, not receiving their money back, and being charged each month for a new pack automatically.
Trust Factor & Guarantee:
When we received our package of Evercleanse, one bottle was not sealed properly and the white powder had escaped from the plastic jar. This was already a bad sign and made us a bit concerned about taking the product. (The missing list of ingredients unless they really do sell only maltodextrin as a cleanser just added to our worry).
If you read the company’s Privacy Policy, you’ll find that they will happily sell your contact info to other companies: “From time to time, we make the e-mail addresses of those who access our site available to other reputable organizations whose products or services we think you might find interesting.” It’s seems that this company has no respect for our privacy! As if that wasn’t bad enough, they also say the following: “From time to time, we may use customer information for new, unanticipated uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice.” I’m not sure we want to find out what they mean by that one!
And as far as Money Back Guarantees go, there is no mention of it at all! There is also no Contact Us page with the company address or contact email listed on the website. On the label we found only this: Indianapolis, IN 46250.
Value for the Price:
At $99.95 plus $10.95 for shipping and handling, plus automatically being placed on their auto-shipment program, which charges your card every month, whether you want them to or not – talk about a fool’s bargain!
Verdict: Where do we even begin? You don’t know what is actually in the products (unless they sell maltodextrin with a 99% markup), they charge you a fortune and keep charging you every month, the product is ineffective as a cleanse, there’s no money back guarantee and they will sell your contact details to anyone and everyone. Need we say more?
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Warning: Free Product and Auto-Shipment Scams
The new fad in colon cleansing is getting your products for free. We have received hundreds of emails from people who have been scammed by these companies. (It seems like a new one is popping up each day!)
Before you are sent your free colon cleanse, you’ll be asked to provide your credit card information. What you don’t realize is that these companies will continue to charge your credit card each month and you will have no way of canceling these charges because the companies can’t be reached. Not by phone or by email. Some have gone as far as using this magazine’s email address as the contact email with their merchant account providers and we ended up with all the emails from people who were demanding their money back and the payments stopped.
Please don’t get caught up in these scams. Find a reputable colon cleansing company, where you pay for the products you receive and nothing more. If the offer you are given sounds too good to be true, please don’t fall for it. It’s a shame that so many are giving this whole industry a bad name.
For more information see the CleanseDetoxWatch.com website.
Here’s just one example of the emails we’re getting:
For more information see the CleanseDetoxWatch.com website.
This article is reprinted with permission from Natural Healing Today magazine
Cart 
I had requested a free bottle of the Total Cleanse and I wanted to be sure to let someone know that they are a total SCAM. They have already charged my card for 3 payments of 84.00 that I DID NOT authorize! Please warn the public of this scam I am also going to contact Oprah since they are using her as an advertisement!!! Plus, the product does not even work!
I am seriously concerned about other people being taken advantage of!
Sincerely. 
