As the popularity of Korean beauty soars globally, it has become much easier to purchase Korean beauty products from wherever you are in the world. Korean beauty specialist shops are not the only options to find genuine K-beauty products but these days they can also be found in larger high street retailers such as drug stores, Sephora and online stores like Amazon. Purchasing online is much more convenient for busy modern consumers however, in an online space with millions of sellers like Amazon, there are genuine sellers as well as FAKE sellers. By presenting fake or counterfeit K-beauty products in similar packaging with vastly cheaper prices, these fake sellers are making money while the customers who are caught in the trap may experience counterfeit beauty products with potentially harmful ingredients!
As your skin and money are precious, here are our 7 tips on how to identify the fake K-beauty products on Amazon.
1. Be aware if there is no brand name in the product title
Genuine products usually contain the brand name at the beginning of the product title like below.
Opposed to this, most fake products do not have the brand name in the product title. Instead, they will use the words that are relevant to the product such as the product’s signature ingredient name like Niacinamide or Snail Mucin or include part of the product name.
However, be aware that there are also real products that may not include the brand name in the product title like the below product from Round Lab birch juice moisturising sunscreen.
2. Check the brand name located underneath the product title
We suggest you always check the brand name written underneath the product tile. If the real brand name is added to the brand name the product is highly likely to be genuine. If the brand/seller name looks questionable, click on the name and check what products this brand or seller is selling. If they are selling various products other than skincare, there is a high chance that they are not genuine.
3. Always browse the entire images
Almost certainly you will be browsing more than just the main display image when making a purchase on Amazon. Follow the same shopping method when observing Korean beauty products by taking a look at the entire image. If there are images of primarily Western models showing excessive or exaggerated before and after images there is a high chance that the product is fake.
4. Zoom into the main product image and observe it
Pay attention to 2 points below when looking at the main product image:
• Are there any prints that look faded on the label? Genuine products usually have high-quality print packaging with clear logos and descriptions.
• Is the font accurate? Research the product on Google and observe the font. Genuine products have a consistent branding font on their proper label.
5. Check the price – Is this a bargain?
This is one of the most common factors in catching the fake products. If the product seems vastly cheaper than the same product existing on Amazon, this is likely to be a fake one as they probably didn’t spend any big bucks on checking all the safeties in their skincare. (Who knows what they have added in there!)
6. Trust your instincts
If a deal seems too good to be true or the product’s quality looks suspicious, simply trust your gut feeling and avoid it. Your skin only deserves the best that genuine products will offer.
Watch all the details from our YouTube video below.
