Beware of Counterfeit Skin Care

We all know about counterfeit fashion and have seen items such as handbags and watches made to appear like the real thing but did you know that skin care is also a major part of this counterfeit industry? The US ports that accept goods have divisions operating specifically to seize these illegal counterfeit goods being imported and cracking down on fake personal care products is on the rise.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, online sales of cosmetics have increased by 20-30% making skin care and makeup a multi-billion dollar industry. Manufacturers of counterfeit goods understand this is a hot market and sell personal care products that appear to be the real thing. 

So you may be asking what’s the deal with this and why do I need to pay attention? Well, not only are these goods that are being imported impact the reputation of the original designers and brands that create the real thing, earnings from counterfeit goods contribute to terrorist organizations and other criminal groups. When it comes to makeup and cosmetics, the ingredients used in counterfeit products have the potential to cause serious health problems. Safety and testing aren’t important to these manufacturers and the condition of these underground laboratories are found to be below acceptable standards. Some of the products lab tested show high levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, cyanide and bacteria. 

Another reason we are seeing a rise in counterfeit skin care is due to the abundance of e-commerce shopping sites. The pandemic contributed to a surge in online shopping which increased the chances of consumers adding these too-good-to-be-true products to their online shopping cart.

Some ways to prevent counterfeit skin care and makeup from ending up on your counter is to always shop with brands or online stores that you know and trust. Remember, if the price is too good to be true, it probably is! 

Have you encountered fake skin care and makeup? Let me know in the comments!