Efforts pooled to fight counterfeit cosmetics on the market

In an effort to fight against fake cosmetic products, consumers have made the effort to destroy cosmetics containers after using a product.

This is due to the fake cosmetics products, in genuine packaging, that have flooded the markets in the economic capital, Douala.

The fake products that are hardly detected, but for the cheap prices, is one of the principal determinants that have caused serious health hazards ranging from skin rashes, to changing skin colour to the losing of hair both on the skin and the head.

To watch out for fake products by dubious businessmen, whose only goal is to get rich at the expense of the population, some consumers have resorted to destroying containers of body lotions, hair products and perfume bottles after using them. They break or cut plastic containers into two and as well break breakable packaging after emptying the content.

According to Mary Forsi, who uses expensive lotion for her body, “destroying the containers is the best way to fight against the production of counterfeit products by certain individuals. If all and sundry follow the example, perpetuators of the act will have no choice than to invest heavily and produce genuine products or go out of market.”

The packaging, taken from dustbins and bought from homes and neighbourhoods, are thoroughly washed and refilled with law quality products that are bad enough to cause skin diseases.

Last year in Yaoundé, a lady died few minutes after she was brought to a district hospital due to the untold pains she felt after retouching her hair with a fake hair product.

Still in the nation capital, a boy was reported to have died after using a fake pigment on his hair to change his hair colour.

Though poverty pushed some to cut lotion containers in order to use the last drop of lotion remaining inside, they ignorantly contribute to the fight against the production of counterfeit goods.

In an interview with Cameroon Tribune, some people blamed the production of such goods on the proliferation of clandestine enterprises and lack of quality control.