2. Smell the product
Most manufacturers do not change the scent of a product without making a note of the change on the product’s label or packaging.
3. Shake the product
Is the texture the same? If the product has always been creamy and now the texture is watery; this should raise a red flag! Do not touch the product prior to purchasing to avoid contamination. If the product doesn’t appear settled, it may have already been touched/contaminated by another consumer.
4. Check for expiration or manufacturing dates
Most packaging will include a date of expiration or the date that the factory packaged the product. We know that expired products may mimic all of the signs of counterfeit products due to spoilage.
Rancid products are as dangerous as counterfeit products! Counterfeiters may use discarded packaging, finding it easy to obtain.
Years ago it was common to hear stories of only salon distributed hair care product lines being counterfeited. They were dubbed as being superior and were priced higher so counterfeiters would prey on consumers; claiming to sell the same product locally and cheaper than the salon charged. Many wanting to get a deal would flock to buy the products only to find that they were counterfeit.
The troubling thing is that proving that the product is actually counterfeit is difficult without laboratory testing, leaving the consumer at the losing end of the stick.
If we are lucky the distributer will ask that we return it and offer a refund or exchange but frequently we toss the product and take the loss.
The loss to consumers is major! Not only are we throwing money away but we risk using a product that may contain dangerous chemicals or additives that can cause hair loss or scalp problems. Counterfeit hair creams, lotions and conditioners are one thing but imagine counterfeit relaxers!
Protect yourself as a consumer! Always keep your receipts for your purchases and email the company directly if the product you purchased seems different than your prior experiences.
Email the seller too; they may be unaware that the product is counterfeit. It is virtually impossible to determine if a product is counterfeit if it is your first purchase.
I would advise making it a habit of testing new products on a small area to determine if the product is right for your hair or if it may cause an allergic reaction!
Source of cites provided by:
Our Small “Section” (we don’t even get an entire aisle)
McCormick, Lisa. “Retailers Gloss Over Diversions of Professional Hair Care Products”@http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/04/diversions.html
Nessel, Jill. “Counterfeit Hair Care Products @https://suite.io/jill-nessel/qyr20c
C Angel Handley says
Going for THE “Just water” Method Of Cleansing. I’ve had enough of bring a product junkie.
Angelita Gallion-Johnson says
Be nice to actually be able to read the article “IN ENGLISH”
BlackHairInformation.com says
Sorry about that Angelita Gallion-Johnson I wasn’t able to reproduce that issue but we were using an language auto-detect setting which obviously isn’t working so well. I’ve changed the setting so hopefully it will work for you now 🙂 If not you can also click on the US flag on the sidebar or if you are on a phone or ipad the flags will be after the comments section. That will put your setting back to English.
Mwaka Emm says
Thought there was sumn wrong with my phone…
BlackHairInformation.com says
I’ve answered your issue in a comment above Mwaka Emm
Stacey says
Thank you for your article. I have dealt with my share of counterfeit products and it is a really frustrating ordeal. I tend to let price be my guide; the saying “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is” plays out very often in the hair product category. Fortunately, I have recently found a retailer that deals directly with the product manufacturers and guarantees authenticity, so I buy all of my products from there.
Stacey says
Thank you for your article. I have dealt with my share of counterfeit products and it is a really frustrating ordeal. I tend to let price be my guide; the saying “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is” plays out very often in the hair product category. Fortunately, I have recently found a retailer that deals directly with the product manufacturers and guarantees authenticity, so I buy all of my products from there.
Maybell Lena Killion says
Glad I’m natural and make my own products!