Top 10 Forgotten As Seen On TV Products From The 1990s

#10: Genesis Plant Care System

If you were someone who was interested in gardening back in the ‘90s, this one may have caught your eye when it showed up on your TV. The Genesis Plant Care System appeared on the infomercial series “Amazing Discoveries,” which existed between 1989 and 1997. It targeted beginner gardeners and was meant to make gardening easy and effective for anyone and everyone. They even had the inventor of square foot gardening on the show to teach us about plants and soil and why the Genesis Plant Care System is the way to go. In classic as-seen-on-TV fashion, he even took us through a garden! However, nowadays, even for experienced gardeners, the Genesis Plant Care System has likely been out of mind and out of sight.

#9: Rainbow Art

If you were a kid in the ‘90s, Rainbow Art may elicit sweet nostalgia. And that’s just if you remember seeing the throwback infomercial—not even necessarily if your parents ever bought it for you. Of course it appeared on kids channels, so you might’ve seen it on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network back in the day. The infomercial made the product look fun and obviously colorful—because, well, that’s what it’s all about. And let’s be real, the drawings the kids make in the infomercial are pretty impressive. Rainbow Art was a young artist’s dream—but the key word is was. Luckily, though, there are still plenty of other ways to create colorful, creative art.

#8: Body by Jake Hip & Thigh Machine

Some ‘90s fitness trends have stayed; others have gone. But few things bring back more fitness nostalgia than some of the as-seen-on-TV products from those days. When it comes to ab workouts, you had the Ab Sculptor. Another as-seen-on-TV fitness device from the ‘90s that’s perhaps a bit more memorable is the ThighMaster—which was advertised by actress Suzanne Somers. But for this list, the Body by Jake Hip and Thigh Machine gets the spot, as it is perhaps a more forgotten fitness product that still exudes ‘90s fitness nostalgia. The home exercise machine was designed to work out the adductors, abductors, quads, hamstrings, and glutes. That infomercial fitness tutorial is so ‘90s.

#7: Microcrisp

Cooking-related as-seen-on-TV products were plentiful back in the ‘90s. One of the star television personalities in that field was Cathy Mitchell. The Snakmaster sandwich press was just one of many successful products she introduced to us through our television screens. But it’s the Microcrisp, also heavily marketed by Mitchell, that earns the spot on our list, as it’s a bit more unique and arguably has a tad more of a throwback feel. This special-coated wrap was designed to make microwaving foods better, optimizing crispiness and avoiding sogginess. Sounds great, no doubt. But since then, microwave technology has improved; and of course there’s been the rise of air fryers, only further diminishing the Microcrisp’s appeal.

#6: Nad’s Natural Hair Removal Gel

It launched in Australia in the early ‘90s before airing on U.S. cable stations just several years later. In 1998, Nad’s Natural Hair Removal Gel was advertised with a 28-minute TV ad—much longer than the three-minute ones that had been aired in Australia previously. By 1999, this no-heat hair removal gel became the most successful product of its kind in the US. The natural ingredients, ease of use, marketing, and demand were all reasons for that. However, due to the rise of even better skincare-focused hair removal alternatives, Nad’s has lost its standing.

#5: Juiceman Juicer

One of the faces of the ‘90s juice craze was Jay Kordich. Along with his 1992 best-selling book titled “The Juiceman’s Power of Juicing,” he was also on TV a lot, doing infomercials for his Juiceman juicer. Kordich vouched for the health benefits of fruit and vegetable juices, once calling the product “a sensible, delicious, and nutritious route to a more energetic, healthier, and happier life.” Another as-seen-on-TV juicer from the ‘90s worth mentioning is the Juice Tiger, which was marketed by Jack LaLanne, a.k.a. the “Godfather of Fitness.” However, that product faced a huge recall in 1996, and overall it was less tied to the ‘90s infomercial era and juice trend than the Juiceman. And so, the Juiceman gets the nod here.

#4: TopsyTail

When you think of ‘90s hairstyles and hair tools, this might not be the first thing that comes to mind—but it sure made its mark. The TopsyTail was designed to make it easier to create intricate hairstyles. And it all came about thanks to a moment of inspiration at the movie theater. That’s where Tomima Edmark spotted a woman wearing a French twist hairstyle, and the lightbulb went on. The TopsyTail hit the market in 1991 with the help of television advertising. Another nostalgic ‘90s as-seen-on-TV hair tool you might have forgotten about is the Hairagami. It’s a memorable name and definitely a throwback, but it did not make the impact that TopsyTail did.

#3: Phone Relief

Let’s take a journey back to a time when landlines were ubiquitous. While on a phone call, it was obviously more difficult to do something else at the same time. But then, in 1993, came Phone Relief: a hands-free headset you hook up to the phone. It was designed to allow you to have your phone conversation while simultaneously cooking, researching, or doing other hands-on tasks. Phone Relief was advertised with your typical cheesy as-seen-on-TV ‘90s infomercials. Even back then, plenty of people probably scoffed at the need for this product—but it definitely had its use. Nowadays, we take the ability to multitask while on the phone for granted.

#2: Miracle Mop

Perhaps this cleaning product rings a bell. After all, millions have been sold over the years—most notably during the 1990s and 2000s. The Miracle Mop has that alliterative name that just feels so right for an as-seen-on-TV product. What really helped it take off during the ‘90s was inventor and entrepreneur Joy Mangano’s appearance on QVC. She plugged her Miracle Mop, and in less than half an hour, 18,000 purchases were made. Apparently, her disappointment in other mops is what inspired her product; and clearly, based on the success the Miracle Mop had, countless people were happy that a new option hit the market. Today, though, the public is buying plenty of other mops instead.

#1: Rejuvenique: The Ultimate Facial Toning System

This thing screams horror movie. The Rejuvinique facial mask became instantly infamous in 1999, when it first hit TV screens with an infomercial. This as-seen-on-TV beauty device was designed to deliver electric pulses to the face to exercise and tone facial muscles. However, we’re not ones to speak on the actual quality of it; because that’s very debatable. But the Rejuvinique is iconic for just how strange—and some would say—scary, it was. We doubt anyone would wanna buy one of these things anymore for regular use nowadays; but who knows—maybe a horror filmmaker would be interested.

Which of these ‘90s items is most nostalgic to you? Let us know in the comments below!