Filipino consumers need to be more vigilant when buying skincare products after news of alleged counterfeit of a popular skincare product have reportedly entered the local market.
Galderma Philippines, the authorized distributor of Cetaphil, a brand recommended by dermatologists for sensitive skin, received initial reports that counterfeit beauty bars and moisturizers bearing the brand’s name are being sold in the Philippines. These counterfeits place consumers at risk of potential skin harm and severe health issues in the long run. In particular, these include Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar, Cetaphil Cleansing Antibacterial Bar, Cetaphil Restoraderm Skin Restoring Body Moisturizer and Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion 591mL.
Especially for people with sensitive skin, the formulation of the counterfeit products may cause mild skin irritation to serious flare-ups. Moreover, consumer may face the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals.
“Laboratory tests conducted on samples of counterfeit products show that these counterfeits do not follow established quality specifications of our product. Also, key ingredients found absent in the counterfeit products” said Atty, Edmund Jason Baranda, counsel of Galderma.
Without proper quality control to ascertain the right formulation that goes into each product, the counterfeit item may seriously put the safety and health of consumers at risk and they end up paying more, especially when they expose their skin to unnamed and unchecked ingredients that go into the counterfeit items.
A cheaper price may not always be a good indicator to know if the item is counterfeit or not, as some are produced to look almost the same as the genuine ones - but there would be marked differences in terms of the product’s odor, appearance and packaging, owing to the lack of strict quality control during manufacturing and the fact that counterfeit items are produced at cheaper rates to scale.
Here are some consumer guidelines on how to spot counterfeit items:
- Check if there is a difference in the product’s odor or color with the original;
- Look at the physical casing or packaging
- Check if the box has lot number, expiry dates, and brand stickers
“Galderma is committed to provide only quality products to consumers which is why we adhere to strict manufacturing protocols and quality controls. The safety of the consumers is of foremost importance to us, especially since we provide products that care for the skin. Galderma has open communication lines with its consumers so as soon as we received information about the counterfeit items, we promptly sought the assistance of the authorities for appropriate action” said Atty. Baranda.
In case you have bought a suspected counterfeit item, kindly report the details of where and when you bought the product to Cetaphil’s official Facebook page Cetaphil Philippines. A customer service representative will respond to your notification.
