Dangers Of Using Fake Makeup: How to Identify Fake Makeup

by Blush Me Team

As a consumer, there is nothing quite like getting your hands on the new beauty product you have been obsessing over, especially those beauty buys that were a little bit of a splurge. 

But what if you found out your new palette or luxe lipstick, the one you just dropped your hard-earned cash on was a fake?

Cosmetics and skin care is a rapidly developing industry around the world  and sketchy knockoffs are a growing problem. Due to the high demand and the luxury price points, a shady knock-off sub-industry is  is flooding the beauty market.

A lot of high-end knockoff products are easily available for purchase in the market, skincare and cosmetics products are not exempted. Most of these products are made in China. With the help of technology and mastering in the art of making a product, it has become very challenging to differentiate between a real and a fake product. The real danger is not wearing a fake accessory but when it comes to products that you put on your skin. 

 

According to Netflix series Broken, Global counterfeit trade is estimated to be $461 billion. There are people taking advantage of this opportunity to capitalize by selling fake products. It has become easier to sell a counterfeit product with the growth of online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Alibaba and many more.  Influencers, Social media marketing, online shopping sites play a major role in counterfeiters. 

Dangerous Ingredients and Its causes

 

 The biggest problem is the ingredients used in those products. Some of the ingredients are dangerous, some are unsanitary, and others are just plain gross. These ingredients used in the process of making fake cosmetics include mineral oil, Carcinogens, arsenic, beryllium, metals helps to give brighter colors, lead and mercury. It is also found that they’re often made in unsanitary production facilities with harmful bacteria's, urine, and fecal matter.

All these dangerous chemicals can result in mild irritation to sever allergic reactions. The brain is very sensitive to lead which can cause miscarriages, memory issues, headaches and fertility issues.Most of the time staph has been found in most of the counterfeit products which could cause Impetigo, Cellulitis, Boils, Pustules, pink eyes and Styes.

How to Identify Counterfeit Cosmetics

--- Price 

Yes, High-end branded products never going to be CHEAP. If the price is too good to be true, the probably it should be a fake. So beware of buying name brand makeup at rock-bottom prices, However, in some cases it may be difficult to identify if a product is authentic or not by price. Online vendors might keep the selling price to be very competitive to showcase their products are authentic. However, if it is cheaper than from authentic sellers website, it's a red flag.  

--- Place (Where you buy)

When you decides to purchases online, you must research about the online vendor and their credibility. This can be done by checking scanning their products reviews, Facebook or Instagram page and you could ask friends and family if anyone have purchased from them before. 

--- Packaging 

One of the or only way to identify a product is real or fake is by packaging. Make sure online sellers have as much as information you need about the product on their page. This may include where a product is made, IESBN number or even real photos of a product. There are products in the market that no one would mistake them for the real deal. But there are also lots of highly sophisticated counterfeits out there that are really difficult to spot. One way to ensure you are getting the real thing is to visit the manufacturer’s website and see if the product you’re looking at is exactly the same as the picture online. 

Even the smallest mismatch like the color of the box, ingredients list of the product, 'made in' information is a sign of a counterfeit. For an example 'Made in Canada' can be spelled as 'Made in Ganada'. Information most of us would miss to pay attention to.

--- Ingredients

Lower quality makeup uses a cheaper formula. Fake powders, eye shadows, blushes and lipsticks tend to have a chalkier or thinner consistency than the real thing. For an even closer inspection, smell the product for strange chemical or medicinal scents that might designate a fake product.

Conclusion

Fake beauty products are everywhere, and consumers cannot rely on some unknown third-party retailers to keep them protected. The best way to know for sure that the skincare products you’re buying are real is to only make purchases directly from official website or on your trusted websites like blushme.lk to ensure that everything you buy is 100% genuine, sourced directly from manufacturers or authorized distributors. Buying from a new seller requires lot of research from your end. 

 


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