Filipinos love Korean Products. From skin care to makeup items, we love using them! On the downside, there are now items that misleads Filipino consumers. There are beauty products imitating the packaging, but they are made in other countries like China. So the question is, How to spot fake Korean Products?
Just recently, I attended a round table discussion on the promotion and protection of Genuine Korean Products. I learned a lot about the Copyright Infringement on Korean Products, How IP Rights are protected in the Philippines, and the Various Infringement cases in Southeast Asia.
For me, the best way to stop the manufacturing of imitated products is to inform consumers of the potential harm these products pose to the Filipinos and its economy.
How to Spot Fake Korean Products?
Check the Packaging
Some products imitate the style of the original products.
Image Source: KBS News
Others use the famous Korean Characters.
Image source: KBS
Read and Watch Product Reviews
There are tons of product reviews on YouTube and other beauty blogs. Check the reviews first before buying a product.
Research about the Manufacturer of the Brand
Always check the names of the manufacturer of the products. Trust the known Korean Brands only. Nature Republic, Innisfree, Etude House, TonyMoly, and Club Clio are some of the legit Korean shops you can see at the malls in the Philippines.
The packaging below is from Ilahui. If you can read Korean, you’ll know that these words doesn’t make sense at all.
Drawbacks of patronizing fake korean products
There are many reasons why you must not patronize fake Korean Products.
First, it’s bad for your skin. Wearing counterfeit clothes won’t really affect your body but using counterfeit beauty products will! The mere fact that these products are really cheap means that the unknown ingredients used there are not of high quality. You’ll just end up spending more money going to dermatologist when you get allergies.
Second, it’s a crime. Companies who make imitations violates the law of intellectual property rights. People who patronizes fake products are supporting criminals. Using fake Korean products promotes illegal trade and copyright infringement.
Lastly, it’s not good for the economy. Whenever people buy fake products, the Korean companies lose a great amount of revenues. This means that there will be less taxes remitted to the Philippines. This might also result to increase in unemployment rate.
List of Shops which sells fake Korean products
- Ilahui
- Mumuso
- Yoyoso
- Minigood
Can you add some more?
Ewan ko ba pero bakit sikat parin Mumuso? Hay, thanks for this headsup and tips! Nice angle you had here for a story!
It’s better to pay full price when buying skincare products, than buy it cheaper at dodgy shops. These Korean skincare brands should also have English translation in all their packages.
If you are not keen observer you’ll be gotten by these fake products. Super dami na nila. SInce indemand kasi kaya they’re trying to make some counterfeits.
I am overwhelmed by all the products. A lot would ask me and I haven’t even heard about those Korean products:-)… Then there’s Mumuso. I have a friend who was excited about that and been using that. She was disappointed when it came out that it’s not a Korean product at all.
Thank you for sharing this. I love Korean products but yes, I had been worried about getting fake and harmful ones since there are a lot in the market.
These tips are really helpful. Shared your post to other beauty junkie friends too.
These are some really good and very helpful tips on spotting fake Korean products. It’s always important to be an informed buyer!
The only Korean products I use are sheet masks and I ensure they’re not lightening as most Korean products are lightening.
These are some helpful tips. You gave all important points. I will remember this tips next Time.
Korean products are very popular, here in Italy you can find them basically everywhere, but I’m always scared that they’re not legit. Thank you so much for sharing these tips, I’ll be sure to follow them next time I want to purchase a Korean product!
Korean skincare products are really booming and that means, at times, people fall for fakes. I love the idea about researching about the manufacturer and watching reviews before making a purchase.
Wow did not know there were so many fakes about. There are some top tips here x
What a great post, I think there are so many more fake products these days, I would say if it is a lot cheaper then you know it is going to be, but even then that is not always the case
I have read about this issue before. It is difficult to spot fake from original especially if the label is in a foreign language. I wish people would stop trying to make a buck by fooling others. That is bad business!
Wow. so who are making these fake items? Glad you guys are into these as they are really destroying the business of people and as well as the lives of the users..
There are so many fake products out there. It takes an experienced shopper to be able to spot out the fake. This post will be of great help to those who patronize Korean products.
Oh that’s the downside of online shopping, it’s gotten so easy to push fake products. So if you’re not knowledgeable with the products you’re getting, you can fall victim.
It’s really important to be a smart buyer. To know what you’re buying and where you’re buying from.