The Bathroom Product That Acts As Whipped Cream's Stand-In For Commercials Might Make You Gag

Most people know that the food they buy rarely looks the same as it does when you see it in magazines, food blogs, or television commercials. Part of the magic of advertising includes making an object look irresistible, enough that the consumer wants to spend money to get it. More often than not, when food is filmed or photographed, it's been created by a food stylist; not a chef. For the most part, by the time the stylist is done, the food looks fantastic, but it's hardly edible. For example, that fluffy, firm whipped cream you see on top of a mug of steaming hot chocolate just might be made shaving cream in disguise.

Whipped cream can photograph well and look appetizing on its own, but professionally shooting foods takes lots of time. That dollop of perfect whipped cream will melt away into the liquid heavy cream it was made of before long. Shaving cream will last much longer, giving the photographer more time to capture the perfect image. The shaving cream might be put into a pastry bag with a decorative tip just like real whipped cream is, or it could be spooned on things like cheesecake, pie, ice cream sundaes, coffee, or a bowl of fresh fruit. Most likely, that picture perfect dish will end up in the trash. After all, as good as it might look, no one wants to eat a pile of shaving cream.

Styling food doesn't always call for inedible products. For example, fresh produce works fine on its own. But sometimes a little help is needed not only to make the food look perfect, but to make them cooperate for a long photo shoot. Filming and shooting ice cream, for instance, is notoriously difficult because the frozen treat quickly melts. To combat this, a mixture of shortening, corn syrup, food coloring, and powdered sugar is combined to make a visual dupe. Put this together with some dollops of Barbasol, and you've got a dessert for the eyes.

Steaming cups of black coffee (the healthiest way to drink coffee) in advertising are often mugs of soy sauce and water because brewed black coffee contains a thin, oil layer on top from the coffee beans. Cold beverage shots require a lot of trick photography. The ice is often made of resin so it won't melt, while Vaseline is used to hold salt in place on a Margarita. A spritz of glycerin on glasses stands in for cold condensation, and a product called Kitchen Bouquet mixed with water is often used in place of brown liquor. 

Motor oil stands in for maple syrup on stacks of pancakes because it doesn't soak into the pastries as quickly, while white glue is used to mimic milk in cereal shots. If you've ever wondered why your Thanksgiving turkey never looks as beautiful as it does in the commercials, it's because you don't paint yours with brown furniture polish. Like every other "perfect" thing in the world, perfect-looking food is often just an illusion.