Counterfeit cosmetics




If you have not watched the documentary 'Broken', available on Netflix,  I would advise you to do so immediately. Watch especially the segment about counterfeit make-up. It made me think long and hard about what I put on my face and I spent the morning throwing away old foundations and anything I thought might be contaminated or of dubious provenance.
With Christmas coming up, you will probably buy cosmetics as gifts and you may be tempted to buy discounted kits online from Amazon or eBay. Please check everything very carefully and do not be taken in by offers of huge discounts on known brands. Many of these cosmetics are counterfeit, made in China and elsewhere, wherever cheap labour and manufacturing are available. Buying counterfeit cosmetics or buying cheap ones from a brand you have never heard of,  is not on the same level as buying a counterfeit bag. These cosmetics are poisonous.
They are made in appalling conditions, they may contain urine and faeces, as well as poisons like arsenic.  Would you really want to put this stuff on your face?
Thanks to highly irresponsible influencers, many of these counterfeit or little known brands manage to make profits out of your skin. Dermatologists have seen a rise of certain epidermic conditions, caused by products made in unhygienic surroundings.

Image from BBC

Few among us have the necessary knowledge to understand chemical formulas and chemical reactions. Although there are mechanisms in place to check on what is being imported, it is very difficult to monitor online purchases. In the documentary, a young woman tells you about the time she bought a lip gloss and her lips got stuck because it contained the same chemicals used for superglue! She ended up with wounds on her lips, in the attempt to separate them.
When you buy something that has to be used on your skin, be sensible. Google the ingredients and if the packaging does not convince you, send it back. Amazon has a service to monitor counterfeit goods, although, in truth, it is in Amazon's interest to sell stuff, regardless of provenance. It's what Amazon does: it sells third party goods and they always have a disclaimer.
And please do not rely on reviews! They can be fake and can be bought, just like followers on social media can be bought.
If your cosmetics are over 18 months old, dispose of them. They are liable to contain bacteria.
You would not eat in a dirty place, overrun by rats. Many of these cosmetics are made in places where rats and animal droppings are the norm. Why would you want to put dirty, poisonous stuff on your skin?
I love make-up like many other women and men too. But I love my skin more and I want it to be disease-free.


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