Cheap cosmetics made in China and counterfeit Japanese goods attack rural villages

Not only existing in big cities, cheap cosmetics are flooding into the countryside, seriously threatening the health and beauty of users.

Japanese goods made in China

Buyers can freely choose from eye shadow, blush, powder, lipstick, to skin creams, face masks, hair dyes... originating from Vietnam, China, Japan... to European countries with famous brands such as Chanel, Lancome, Maybeline, Mac, Shiseido... but there are no manufacturer's labels, no clear ingredients, expiration dates...

Cheap cosmetics are flooding into the countryside.

Seeing me hesitate in front of the cosmetics displayed everywhere, the shop owner warmly invited me: "What do you want to buy?". When asked about Japanese cosmetics, she quickly brought up makeup remover, foundation, facial cleanser... Shiseido brand. However, these products all originated from China and did not have import stamps or quality inspection stamps. And the special thing is that these "branded" products are surprisingly cheap, from 20,000-70,000 VND/box.

Explaining the Chinese origin, the shop owner innocently said that these items are Japanese but are manufactured in Asian countries, so they are labeled as made in China.

Rural areas such as Nghi Loc district, Dien Chau district, Nghe An are also flooded with cheap cosmetics. Here, buyers can easily find small stalls selling a variety of lipsticks, blushes, nail polish, perfumes, etc. They are stored in plastic baskets, or in glass cabinets with other miscellaneous items such as key chains, music CDs, children's clothes, stationery, etc. Each type costs only 20,000-50,000 VND, however, if the buyer bargains, the seller will reduce the price to half of the advertised price.

Stopped by store number 12, Nghi Trung, Nghi Loc, Nghe An, although this store hung a sign advertising the sale of clean tea, CDs, children's clothes, and stationery, the glass cabinets of this store were filled with all kinds of cosmetics. After checking the prices, the owner told us that Naris lipstick costs 60,000 VND, Revlon powder costs 10,000 VND, Essance mascara costs 16,000 VND... When he saw us taking out our cameras to take pictures, the owner looked suspicious and waved his hand to ask us to go somewhere else.

Bring disaster on yourself with cheap cosmetics

Seeing that it was cheap, Ms. Vuong Thuy Nhung in Quan Bau, Nghe An bought a box of cream for 150,000 VND to use. After 2-3 days of use, she saw that her skin began to become smooth, plump, very soft, her pores tightened, blackheads on her nose and dark spots reduced significantly. After about 1 week, her skin began to become whiter and brighter, after 1 month, her face was so white that she no longer needed makeup. She bought a second bottle to use. But when she stopped using it, her skin became worse and her face became itchy. The next day, it was even more itchy, her face began to have many small pimples, her skin began to darken and was very uncomfortable. On the 4th day, her skin began to have many small bumps like prickly heat and was red, itchy, and watery when scratched. She went to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor concluded that she was allergic to cosmetics and had to be treated with antibiotics.

Nghe An Market Management Force destroyed many fake cosmetics. Photo: Thu Huyen

According to the owner of a cosmetics store in Vinh City, Nghe An Province, the common method of these subjects is to export goods under contracts in China, then bring them to Vietnam. The seller introduces them as small-scale goods, hand-carried goods from abroad, so they are cheap. Customers who are not familiar with the products can easily fall into the trap. Sometimes, to legalize these fake cosmetics, a company acts as the official importer, then they go to China to order identical fake goods to sell, still ensuring import documents when the authorities check.

Another trick is to display fake products mixed with genuine products with circulation licenses to "deceive" consumers. This is an effective way to consume smuggled cosmetics today. To avoid detection by authorities, the subject only leaves a small amount of smuggled goods in the store, rents a warehouse to store the rest, and when the goods run out, takes them out to continue selling.

Doctor Nguyen Van Sau, General Hospital of Quy Chau District, Nghe An Province, recommends that users should buy cosmetics at reputable, quality stores. Before using, they should test on small, narrow areas of skin, and only use if they are safe. If they have an allergic reaction, they should immediately go to a dermatologist for timely treatment to avoid complications./.

PV/vov