I have been thinking of entering the skin care product market and need tips on how to spot a counterfeit.

I understand the dangers in selling counterfeit skin care lotions, washes and crèmes and do not want to make that mistake. Any help is appreciated.

Finding a reputable supplier for skin care products is rule one in avoiding counterfeits. Make sure they have all the paperwork from the distributor and batch date when the product was made.

Ask for an expiration date for the skin care product as well. If they do not have a date then, it is probably fake. However, scammers are getting good at making fake batch codes and expiration dates now.

The best thing to avoid counterfeits is learning about the product.

• What does it look like?

• The texture

• Packaging

• Ingredients

Visit department stores and speak to people at the makeup counter about various skin care brands. The more you learn about skin care products the more apt you will be to pick up on the missing information.

The packaging on skin care products can be misleading. Counterfeiters can remove the original product and fill it with a cheap product.

These cheap products can be dangerous, even mixed with bacteria and urine.

Learning about the skin care products truly is the best way. Visit the supplier’s distribution center and check things yourself.

The price can always be a giveaway for fake skin products too. If it sounds too good to be true, it is probably fake.