If you’re like many women, you’ve bought your favorite hair products at the grocery or drugstore or ordered them online because it’s quick and convenient. But did you know that you could actually be buying expired or counterfeit hair products?
Welcome to the world of diversion, a gray area in the cosmetics industry that just might be putting you at risk. Diversion occurs when hair products are sold at unauthorized locations (i.e., not a salon or spa). It means that professional products are sold without the manufacturer’s approval. According to Redken, nine out of 10 consumers are unaware that diversion exists.
Is That Hair Product Real or Counterfeit?
The problem with these products is there’s no way to tell what’s really in them or how old they are. As noted by Pureology, “diverted products can be counterfeit, diluted formulas, or old, expired formulas that may not be safe to use. Contaminated or counterfeit products could cause irritation or even infection.”
Many times, no one knows how these products made their way to stores. For example, you can buy Redken online at Walmart. But according to Redken, Walmart is not an approved location (other than in its SmartStyle Salons). Technically you should not be able to purchase Redken products online through Walmart. But you can, shipped by a company called Pharmapacks, which is not an authorized distributor.
Talk about strange!
The first problem here is that there’s no telling how many times these products have changed hands or how old they are. It’s sometimes impossible to track. The brands themselves set up hotlines to investigate unauthorized distribution, but often can’t find the source.
A 2017 investigation by WFTS Tampa Bay found that, oftentimes, products find their way into unauthorized hands through third parties that compensate stylists to obtain products. And no, this isn’t technically an illegal act, rather an act that violates the stylists’ contract. As such, deals are made on the downlow.
Counterfeit Hair Products Horror Stories
While investigating this concept, WFTS went through a dumpster behind a company named Elite Beauty International and found invoices showing that the company sold millions of dollars in product to unauthorized retailers on a yearly basis. They even found an expired hair product from 2008 that was retailing for more than it would have cost in a salon.
Barrie Drewitt, technical director of Princeton Consumer Research, globally headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., is extremely concerned about such occurrences. Drewitt conducts clinical testing on cosmetic products. In one media investigation, he tested products from a grocery store, drug store and salon for Florida’s NBC2.
Test results showed that the shampoo purchased at the pharmacy was contaminated with bacteria that could be fatal to people with cystic fibrosis. The shampoo purchased at a grocery store was missing the proper preservatives and contained ingredients that were not recognizable to the team. However, the shampoo purchased at a salon was bacteria-free and found to have appropriate levels of ingredients.
Drewitt told Curvicality that purchasing unauthorized or expired hair products can cause catastrophic health consequences.
“One shampoo that was bought online claiming to be a Paul Mitchell all-in-one shampoo was bought by a woman in New York. When it arrived (at half the cost she normally pays), she did as she always did and put it in the bathroom for herself, her husband and three children. By the end of the week, all five of them had serious eye infections because they had all used the product. After investigation, it was found to be the shampoo, which was an out-of-date product of another brand in the container of Paul Mitchell.”
Drewitt warns that a lack of preservatives, as found in his analysis of the shampoo purchased at the pharmacy, could be a large concern for consumers. “Most products … have preservatives that help keep the products fresh and able to last for a specific time,” he said.
In addition, bacteria found in expired products can be deadly. “Ingredients have ‘best by’ dates to ensure that when the buyer uses them, they are at their best …. All finished products have their own clinical file that shows all the testing performed on them before they were cleared to go on sale. This includes a report of shelf-life. This testing consists of months of exposure of the products to different temps and humidity, unopened and opened and resealed containers of the product. This establishes how long the product is good for,” Drewitt told Curvicality.
Using Expired Hair Products can be Life Threatening
“If left for long periods, products start to grow bacteria and potentially become life threatening if used. Enterococcus faecalis, one of the bacteria found most often in old products, is the primary cause of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia. There are many other deadly bacteria discovered in out-of-date cosmetic products: Staphylococcus epidermidis, an antibiotic-resistant bug; Propionibacterium, which causes acne as well as other skin conditions; Eubacterium, which causes aeromonas and bacterial vaginosis; and Enterobacter, which causes respiratory and urinary tract infections.”
So just what can you do to ensure that you’re getting the best products for your hair (and skin, for that matter)?
“It is important as a consumer to buy products in date and from a reputable retailer,” Drewitt tells Curvicality. “Everyone wants a bargain, the deal of a lifetime. But the truth is, your health and your family’s health are more important than a few extra dollars.”
All brands have different rules when it comes to where you can purchase them. Your first option is to buy products from a licensed stylist. You can also go to Ulta, which is a source approved by many major brands. In addition, some brands do sell on Amazon, though you’ll want to check the brand’s website to make sure you’re getting an official product. (That part is very important! Always check the brand’s page.)
Further, be wary of highly discounted products. “There is a black market in this type of product sold at half the normal price or less,” Drewitt told us. “Check the sell-by dates. Many are not in date, and those that are may also be counterfeit, which brings its own issues.”
Remember that counterfeit products may look exactly like the real deal. “They look like the branded items, but they are not. Often made in third world countries in contaminated conditions, some have been found to contain rat droppings and high levels of mercury and other cancer causing ingredients,” Drewitt told Curvicality.
And if you ever do see products in unauthorized locations, take action by reaching out to the company. Redken, Pureology and Paul Mitchell all have diversion hotlines. Many others will as well. Just check online.
At the end of the day, protecting yourself from diversion may save not just your hair, but your life.
