the harm of using counterfeit beauty products

Salam.

I'm pretty sure counterfeit beauty products is not really a big issue in Malaysia but to me, this is a serious matter.

I had no idea how to take care of my face when I was in primary school. I was still very young though. All I knew was go to school, make friends, do sports and win in long distance runs. I was exposed to sunlight so much because of training I got sunburnt. I didn't used any cleanser, toner etc my mom sometimes got angry when she saw pimples all over my forehead. Then, after puberty, I started to show some interests in skincare. And a few years ago, I started getting into makeups. Now, my makeup box are so full with them, skincare and makeup products.

I can relate myself with other girls, especially teenage girls who go through puberty when it comes to taking care of our looks. Girls are girls. Of course, we want to look pretty, slim and we would do anything for it. Go on diet, cut rice in every meal, try all workouts on youtube, drink slimming tea, buy sheet masks and spend hundreds, and even thousands for makeup or facials.

It isn't wrong to buy beauty products to fix our complexions.

It is totally normal. Everyone does that.

But, buying fake beauty products is absolutely wrong, friends.

Counterfeit goods are growing bigger each year and there are always new ways those goods are reaching the market. From Louis Vuitton bags, Nike sneakers to name brand cosmetics are copied and sold internationally. Let's just talk about cosmetics for now, okay.

Even years ago, fake cosmetics can be found everywhere, at the flea market, vendors and shops at the malls. They even sell them at my university by opening booths. Not throughout the semester lah. There are times when they come to sell their goods. I see a lots of my friends going there, paying for the counterfeit cosmetics they purchased. Normally, girls buy it. Boys, you are safe 😂

From what I know, most of them are actually aware of the knock-offs, but some aren't. Those people who are aware of these things pun, still beli sebab they think the ingredients in the fake products are almost the same as the original ones. Usually those who couldn't afford high-end products buy the fake ones instead. They just want the brands. More importantly, to students, they are bloody cheap. People can save up a few extra bucks there. As for the sellers, they find these as an opportunity to open up a business and make money. Ada buyers, ada profits, bisnes jalan. They don't even know what's in the products, mayn and what's the effects to the users.

You, who are reading right now are probably know some of the skincare and makeup brands that are suspiciously sold at low prices. Here, I give some examples; Kylie Cosmetics, MAC, Naked, Too Faced, NYX, Nature Republic, BBIA, Etude House and Peripera. Mesti selalu kan nampak these brands. There are lot more, you can google it on your own. Please do so.

Those out there must be asking Kenapa tak boleh pakai counterfeit cosmetics pulak? What's wrong with buying counterfeit cosmetics products? So far, okay je I pakai blah blah blah. Sigh. Okay, if you ask me, are they safe to use, my answer will be NO. The main reason is because we (buyers) do not know what ingredients or chemicals they put in the products that look so much like the original. Kita fikir dan nampak macam sama. But definitely not the same. Takkan lah they use the same expensive, good ingredients dan jual dengan harga murah. Tak makes sense kot. Mana nak dapat pulang modal.

In my opinion lah kan, it is still okay lah to buy counterfeit shoes, bags or clothes (tapi kesian lah original founder) rather than beauty products. Sebab, skincare or makeup products we apply directly onto our skin and are absorbed in a minute. Faham if you want a cheaper cosmetics, but would you risk your face, your own life just to save few bucks? Mungkin ada products yang beri kesan on the skin which kita boleh nampak, tapi ada juga fake cosmetics yang beri kesan pada organ dalaman. Kita tak nampak. Tahu-tahu dah tahap teruk. Nauzubillah. Kalau original beauty products when can check the ingredients and safety levels through online tau. But the fake ones, kita tak tahu pun apa dalam tu. Sedangkan original products pun ada ingredients yang boleh cause acne and irritation, inikan pula barang yang awak tak tahu dari mana datangnya, macam mana prosesnya dan bahan apa yang mereka gunakan!?

Here are some of ingredients that are extremely dangerous for human health that you don't even know it:

The FBI reports that its agents have found aluminum, human carcinogens, dangerous levels of bacteria, and even horse urine in the products they've seized. "Some of these products have caused conditions like acne, psoriasis, rashes, and eye infections," the report states. "It actually poses a national health problem," Parker adds. Brands like MAC and Anastasia Beverly Hills have also conducted their own investigations, and found even more deadly ingredients, including lead, arsenic, and mercury. - refinery29.com

Do you know carcinogens can caused cancer? How about horse urine? Oh god, are you willing to put that on your face? I can't believe it myself.

Mercury, lead, arsenic, cyanide and even human urine and rat droppings are often found in counterfeit cosmetics made in China. The level of toxins in some of these products have led to severe allergic reactions including skin rashes and burns, disfigurement and long-term health problems such as high blood pressure and infertility. - mashable.com

Mercury is another highly toxic substance and prolonged exposure can result in damage to the heart, kidneys, lungs, and brain. It also severely compromises immunity, increasing your risk of succumbing to infections. - thehealthorange.com

Even local beauty products pun banyak yang guna merkuri etc. Sebagi contoh, produk Tati Skincare (bukan counterfeit) Not all, but please make sure to check the ingredients dan kelulusan kkm before beli.

The unsanitary conditions pose a national health risk to consumers. Courtesy of Estee Lauder Co. - refinery29

A chinese factory that was making fake MAC products. Courtesy of Estee Lauder Co. - refinery29

Not all counterfeit products are hazardous, but most of them are. Lagi satu yang bahaya sebab tak jaga sanitary. Then, the products are exposed to dirts, dusts and also bacterias. Kan bahaya tu?

If you want to see pictures the effects of using those products to our face, check it yourself.

I know it's so tricky to spot the difference between the real and fake beauty products. Try to look at the packaging, label, material, even the shades are slightly different. Paling senang, tengok harga. The knockoffs are sold with way cheaper than original. Ada yang boleh dapat dengan harga RM10.

Pictures below are taken from Google

From my experience, aku pernah beli Tati Skincare last year. I'd used it for a month macam tu then stop sebab rasa tak sesuai dengan muka. Glad I stopped earlier, sebab sekarang dapat tahu that it contains mercury. I also had used sabun 3 layers from facebook before as my cousins said it good and brighten up my skin tone. Aku pun give it a try then seronok lah sebab kulit makin cerah. Masa dulu tak fikir apa pun. Lama-lama baru terfikir what are the ingredients dalam cleanser tu, do they contain harm ingredients or not, dapat kelulusan KKM ke tidak. Padahal dah pakai quite lama lah jugak. After stop memang naik jerawat. Kulit rasa makin nipis dan kering. Rasa pedih selalu especially bila kena matahari.

I'd mentioned before yang ada booth dibuka kat universiti (ada masa) dan jual counterfeit cosmetics. Pernah beli sabun kopi sebab ada offer RM5 kalau beli 2, lagipun masa tu kawan ajak beli. Terpengaruh, but luckily I didn't use it sebab rasa macam Eh okay ke pakai ni, takut tambah jerawat je nanti so it ended up mereput dalam almari kat bilik HAHAHA

Kawan satu universiti juga pernah promote lip tint Peripera through Whatsapp group. Aku dah lah gila lip tint lagi-lagi brand Peripera tau sebab memang long lasting. Bila tanya harga, dia cakap RM10 per satu. I was like Whyyyyyy so cheap!? Mesti fake ni. Aku beli yang original satu lip tint almost RM40 kot 🙄 Errrr senang kan nak bezakan between real and fake cosmetics. 

Kalau nak senang, beli lah dari physical stores brand tersebut, trusted websites atau truster igshops; Hermo, Althea, Sephora, Guardian and Watson.

If you want good cosmetics but can't afford high-end products, find alternatives other than buying counterfeit products as example, buy drugstore beauty products. Tak hina pun okay tak ada brand mahal-mahal. I, myself, use a lot of drugstore brands. I am obsessed with them. They are as good as high-end brands but with cheaper prices; Catrice Cosmetics, Maybelline, Essence, SimplySiti etc.

Dah kau tepek blusher, eyeshadow semua bukan orang lain tahu pun kau pakai brand apa kan.

Jadi jangan lah bahaya kan diri sendiri dengan beli fake cosmetics hanya sebab nak orang lain tahu kau pakai brand mahal. Tak berbaloi pun kalau muka jadi teruk. Lagi tak berbaloi kalau kena cancer semua tau. It's hard to stop those bad people from producing counterfeit cosmetics, but we can stop buying them. Buka mata dan fikir sendiri kesannya. If you still want to use it, depend lah. If anything bad happen, you are responsible for your own skin and health. Don't put the blame on the brands and sellers. 

I think I did this better than the assignments that were given to me haha. Fuh, this post is so long it took me 2 days to finish. I better stop blogging for awhile.

Just kidding 😝 #justmy2cents