Gone are the days when you had to dedicate your entire weekend to driving around town to hit all your favorite stores. With online shopping, you can get the products you need faster than ever – and often cheaper. Because you’re not limited to retailers within driving distance, your options are much more varied, and you have the ability to compare prices.
As wonderful as online shopping is, it isn’t without risk. Unless you shop from an authorized retailer, you can’t be sure what you actually get is what you’ve paid for. You don’t know how long the product sat on a warehouse shelf or whether it’s even authentic. This is particularly concerning with beauty products as unauthorized products can be dangerous.
Product diversion is becoming an increasing problem in the cosmetics and skincare industry and you could easily become a victim without even knowing it. Read on to learn what diversion is and why it’s important to purchase beauty products from a verified source like Yon-Ka Paris or one of our spa partners.
The Importance of Purchasing from a Verified Source
The term diversion refers to the sale or distribution of products by unauthorized retailers. You’re most likely to find diverted products on resale websites like eBay and discount websites where the sellers advertise brand-name products at discounted prices. The trouble is many diverted products are counterfeit and, even if they aren’t, they could be old, expired, diluted, or tainted with unknown substances. Here are some of the risks you take when purchasing potentially diverted products:- The product might be old or expired. As the product and its ingredients break down, it could harbor mold and/or bacteria which might cause skin reactions or breakouts.
- Diverted products are sometimes watered down which may reduce the efficacy.
- In some cases, diverted products are filled or refilled in the original bottle with entirely different products – you might not be getting what you paid for.
- Diverted products may not be stored properly – temperature control is essential to keep skincare products safe and to protect their efficacy.
- The product could have been tampered with and unknown substances could be added.