Luxury perfumes often come with a hefty price tag. While the money spent on branding, packaging and promoting these perfumes drives up the price, what really makes perfumes expensive is the ingredients used.
High-end perfumes are often crafted from exquisite essential oils extracted from flower petals or tree roots. Even though some ingredients are common, extracting them is not always easy. For instance, it takes around 240,000 handpicked jasmine flowers to yield just one ounce of essential oil.
This has given rise to the rampant sale of counterfeit perfumes in Malaysia with many unscrupulous parties caught selling faux branded perfumes at discounted prices, claiming that the products are factory rejects.
The problem is that some shoppers have taken the bait, choosing to own a “branded” perfume without being concerned about its quality and safety.
Local authorities however, have been quick to act. In fact, they have been carrying out regular raids to combat the entry of counterfeit goods into the country.
In 2017, the Selangor Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism (KPDNKK) seized 367 units of counterfeit perfume in two separate raids in Kajang and Puncak Alam, with a total value of RM33,720.
One of the biggest raids was carried out in December 2020, where enforcement officers of the Selangor Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) seized an estimated RM1,762,800 worth of counterfeit goods on Lima Street, off Jalan Chan Sow Lin, Kuala Lumpur.
During the raid, workers were caught packing faux perfume sourced from China into branded boxes for distribution to wholesalers and to be sold online.
In October, an “Instafamous” woman was detained by KPDNHEP at a condominium in Seri Kembangan. The woman was making a profit of over RM10,000 a month selling counterfeit perfume on social media at RM150 to RM200 a bottle.
Dangers of counterfeit goods
The problem with using knockoff perfumes is that they may contain toxic chemicals and banned ingredients that could seriously harm one’s health.
According to Medical Daily, the FBI discovered that counterfeit perfumes have been found to contain Diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), a possible carcinogen.
In addition, counterfeit fragrances often contain excessive amounts of chemicals like methanol, as reported by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. This is in contrast to pure fragrances that use only safe amounts of ethanol as a solvent.
Methanol content in counterfeit perfumes may turn into formalin, which could lead to dizziness, headache, nausea, stomach pain and visual disturbances, in addition to causing liver cancer, according to a study in 2012.
Tips on how to buy genuine perfume:
Wipro Unza, a market leader in the mass perfumes segment with brands like Dashing, Romano and Enchanteur, recommend this three-step method to check if your perfume is certified safe.
STEP 1: Look for the manufacturer’s details and helpline number to confirm brand authenticity.
STEP 2: Check the perfume’s list of ingredients for harmful chemicals.
STEP 3: Scan the safety seal to authenticate the product.
To help you easily identify perfumes that meet stringent international safety standards, Wipro Unza has included a Perfume Safety Seal on all its fragrance products.
It certifies that all the perfume’s ingredients are assessed safe to be used, with no harmful side effects to your health. The QR code on each safety label lets you check for yourself whether the purchased product is authentic or not.
Perfume brands that have the Perfume Safety Seal and are certified safe to use include Enchanteur, Dashing and Romano.
You can get more information on the Perfume Safety Seal here.
Watch the video below to find out more about perfume safety:
This article is sponsored by Wipro Unza.
This article originally appeared in Harian Metro with rights to be republished on Free Malaysia Today.