Consumers depend heavily on beauty and wellness products sold in cosmetics shops nationwide. The demand for these products has also increased in recent years. Many intend to buy well-known and branded cosmetic products to keep their skins safe. These branded products have flooded the supermarkets and the grocery stores in every alley.
Another medium that plays a key role in marketing these products is e-commerce. One can buy the rarest cosmetic items online. These online shops sell lotion, shampoo, cream, and tone-brightening products alongside regular products that are available everywhere.
Shops in Kushtia sell products of various known and unknown brands. Fake cosmetics of renowned brands are being sold without any importer’s information on them. They are wrapped in colourful packaging in such a way that customers get deceived into taking them for original products.
Experts say that regular use of these fake and counterfeit products can cause serious damage to one’s skin and cause diseases such as cancer. Therefore, with the increase in demand for these products—the health risks are also increasing sharply.
Abdus Salam, a professor at Nuruzzaman Biswas Degree College in Kushtia, said: "There is an idea among many of us that the criterion of being beautiful is to be fair. This is a misconception. We must get out of this idea.”
He also said that all skin tones and colours have their own unique beauty. Therefore, it is not necessary to do anything additional to brighten their skin. But in case they really want to brighten their skin—they must consult a specialist. This way, one would not have to suffer from skin-related problems. Those who are encouraging the use of adulterated cosmetics must be brought to book, the expert said.
Doctor Shaffat Hossain Rana, a dermatologist and venereal disease specialist at a private medical centre in Kushtia, said that adulterated cosmetics are destroying the flora of the skin. The skins are burnt, and the colours get changed through the use of fake cosmetics. Many cosmetics are used as fairness creams or lotions. If one uses them, their melanin is destroyed, and as a result, they look fairer. These lead to skin infections, and ultimately they are affected by bacteria. Such infections can eventually lead to cancer, the doctor said.
He also said that due to the use of some of the cosmetics, the amount of liquid secretion from the body is increasing so much that acne and pimples start appearing.
It is seen that different types of acne are coming out on the face. The customer’s skin is also affected by fungi. Apart from this, the immune system that the skin has also gets destroyed. As a result, allergies increase, and skins are affected by various types of bacteria.
He added these products are damaging the skin so much that it can no longer protect them from the outside temperature or weather.
“Nowadays, patients of all ages are coming to us with skin problems. On average, 10 to 12 people come to us with such problems every day. Most of them are young patients,” Doctor Shaffat Hossain Rana said.
Dr Tauchifur Rahman, an oncologist, said with the increase in acne and skin infections, the risks of skin cancer are also on the rise among all age groups.
Dipankar Kumar Dutta, field officer of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) Kushtia regional office, said various types of chemicals are being used in the fake cosmetics. These are hard to catch without testing the items properly.
“Moreover, we have no way of identifying the ingredients of each cosmetic item and their mixture,” he added.
Pointing out that banned cosmetics are still available in the market, the official said: “I conducted an operation in Kumarkhali of Kushtia on October 30. Some contraband creams were found there. Creams that have been banned by the government are still available in the markets. If you use these creams, you will become fair within a month. These items suit some users, and in other cases, they pose serious health risks. Many are infected with cancer as well.”
He mentioned that two government-approved cosmetics manufacturers established factories in Kushtia. “They are producing face wash, skin cream, and lotion in these two factories. The counterfeit cosmetics directly come from Dhaka, and none are manufactured in Kushtia.”
The cosmetics often come in large drums and are filled in jars and pots locally. These items are sold throughout Kushtia, the BSTI official said.
