Fake cosmetics are rampant, beware of carcinogens

Medical experts warn that long-term use of cosmetics containing ingredients that are not in accordance with regulations can cause skin cancer.

True and false mixed on the online market

The online cosmetics market is currently booming with thousands of products being sold every day on e-commerce platforms and social networks. It is worth noting that the price of these products is only 1/3, even 1/10 compared to genuine products and are advertised as hand-carried goods from abroad.

All kinds of cosmetics are sold at cheap prices, only 1/3 of the genuine products. Screenshot

Posing as a customer, a reporter from Hanoi Moi Newspaper contacted a Facebook account named KSMP5. This page sells all kinds of cosmetics from famous brands, advertised as hand-carried goods from countries such as Japan, Korea, Russia, France, Australia... and mainly sells wholesale to traders at very cheap prices.

For example, CNP Laboratory sunscreen costs 70,000 VND/tube, while the same product is currently sold on the market for 260,000 VND to 270,000 VND/tube; Lancome rose water 125ml costs 120,000 VND/tube (market price is 270,000 VND to 300,000 VND/tube); Estée Lauder anti-aging serum 100ml costs 170,000 VND/bottle (market price is 900,000 VND to 1 million VND/bottle)...

Although this Facebook page affirms: “Genuine products - we do not sell “fake” cosmetics here - We strongly boycott “fake” cosmetics”, when reporters asked about the quality and origin of the above cosmetic products, the sellers “disappeared” without responding.

Even when searching for the keyword Chanel lipstick - a famous high-end cosmetic brand in the world , reporters easily found Facebook pages selling this product for only 100,000 VND to 200,000 VND.

Recently, authorities have continuously discovered many "huge" warehouses of cosmetics of unknown origin and counterfeit products.

Recently, through the work of grasping the situation on cyberspace, the Economic Police Department - Bac Giang Provincial Police discovered a number of Shopee and Tiktok accounts advertising and selling cosmetics such as: Body deodorants, acne treatment serums, skin whitening... from the producer Nguyen Van Khanh (29 years old, in Dai Lam commune, Lang Giang district).

A fake cosmetics manufacturing facility has just been discovered. Photo: Bac Giang Provincial Police

Checking Khanh's house, the police arrested this subject and another person while they were manufacturing and packaging fake cosmetics. At the scene, the task force seized 13 different types of cosmetics, with a total of nearly 2,500 finished products such as: makeup remover cream, skin cream, acne serum; deodorant... In addition, the authorities also seized more than 100,000 anti-counterfeit stamps, labels of all kinds; nearly 10,000 bottles, jars; 300kg of raw materials such as alum, mixing solutions...

Previously, through inspection of a warehouse on Truong Han Sieu Street, Van Giang Ward, Hoa Lu City, Ninh Binh Province authorities discovered more than 10,000 cosmetic products of various types (including: Shampoo, hair care essential oil, dye, dyeing solution, collagen conditioner, hair mask, hair mask, shower gel, hair curling chemicals, hair curling gel, curling solution...) worth about 2 billion VND, without invoices or documents proving their origin.

Risks from counterfeit cosmetics

Faced with the rampant situation of fake cosmetics, many consumers have reported that they bought cosmetics of unknown origin, leading to skin problems such as: allergies, irritation, rashes or serious damage.

Hearing from friends about a reputable hand-carried cosmetics shop, Ms. LTTT (29 years old, in Dong Da district, Hanoi) went there and bought two bottles of skin cream advertised as hand-carried from France. However, after using it 2-3 times a day continuously for a week, Ms. T was shocked when her face had a lot of acne, even some areas were swollen, itchy and sore... She had to go to the Center for Allergy - Clinical Immunology (Bach Mai Hospital) for treatment.

Similarly, in just 1 week (from May 5 to 11), the Clinical Trial Center (Central Dermatology Hospital) received 2-3 patients who used cosmetics and had to be hospitalized for allergic dermatitis, including a pregnant woman.

According to information from the hospital, this pregnant woman suffered from acne on her face, which caused her to lose her beauty. During pregnancy, the acne became worse and an acquaintance advised her to use a cosmetic product to treat the acne. However, after applying it, her face became irritated, red, and itchy. Worried, the pregnant woman stopped using it and found another skin care product to replace it. As a result, the female patient had to be hospitalized because her entire face was covered with pustules like "rice paper" and had a very heavy discharge...

Dr. Vu Nguyet Minh, Director of the Clinical Trial Center (Central Dermatology Hospital) checks a girl's skin. Photo: Thu Trang

Speaking to reporters of Hanoi Moi Newspaper, Dr. Vu Nguyet Minh, Director of the Clinical Trial Center (Central Dermatology Hospital) said that the number of patients coming to the clinic due to abnormal conditions after using cosmetics is very high.

According to Dr. Vu Nguyet Minh: There are products that patients bring in that only have their names listed, without their ingredients or active ingredients, or there are “fake” products that have labels that are exactly like the real thing, even with anti-counterfeit stamps, making it very difficult to identify. With these products, when patients use them and have a reaction, doctors cannot know what ingredients are inside, so they have to “blindly” treat them.

In Vietnam, heavy metals that are not allowed in cosmetics are lead, mercury and arsenic. However, homemade and mixed cosmetic products often add corticosteroids or heavy metals to reduce inflammation, treat acne, prevent aging or whiten skin, but bring very serious consequences to users.

“Mercury and corticoid are two ingredients commonly used in beauty products. If too much mercury is added to the product (about 10%) for the purpose of quickly whitening the skin, it is very toxic. Corticoid is a prescription drug because it has about 40 local side effects. When this substance is added too much in beauty products, it will also cause many side effects,” warned Dr. Vu Nguyet Minh.

Tools and substances used to produce fake cosmetics. Photo: Bac Giang Provincial Police

As for cosmetics containing heavy metals, the skin almost never reacts immediately but progresses silently and over a long period of time. This is harmful to the user’s health, especially causing the risk of skin cancer.

“Products containing arsenic usually do not show immediate symptoms, but must be used for a long period of about 10 years to cause skin cancer. The symptoms of skin cancer in cases of arsenic poisoning are very clear, often appearing as multiple cancers - meaning cancer appears in many locations on the body,” Dr. Vu Nguyet Minh added.

Faced with the above reality, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) has sent a notice to the health departments of provinces and cities requesting to continue to strengthen inspection and examination of the implementation of legal regulations on cosmetics management for cosmetics manufacturing and trading enterprises in the area... In particular, focusing on checking cosmetics trading activities on e-commerce trading floors and social networking platforms to detect and handle illegal production and trading, suspected counterfeiting.

To avoid "losing money and getting sick", Dr. Vu Nguyet Minh recommends that people should not buy beauty and treatment products arbitrarily but should seek advice and guidance from doctors and experts.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/my-pham-gia-long-hanh-canh-giac-chat-gay-ung-thu-702438.html