Hi all, i wanted to try the 20% niacinamide from paula's, was curious why so cheap in shopee are they fake or something? its like 1/3 the original price..

I've been buying skincare products from Shopee, and here’s what I’ve noticed about why some items are cheaper:

- Old stock but still usable
- Old product packaging (the brand has new packaging and wants to clear out the old stock)
- Rejected items due to packaging defects
- Near expiry date (about 1-6 months left)
- Expired, but some buyers don’t mind (e.g., shampoo, body scrub)
- Warehouse clearance
- Seller is closing shop soon
- Seller has just opened a shop and wants to promote it and get reviews
- Some products are counterfeits
- Some are authentic brands produced in China (seller sourced from China)
- Seller is a distributor who buys in bulk, allowing for lower prices
- Overproduction or surplus stock from manufacturers, leading to discounted rates

These are the 12 common reasons I’ve observed as a buyer.

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You can ask seller about the expiry date before you buy.

& After you receive your products, you can check the authenticity and production date on this website: https://www.checkfresh.com/
Just key in the product batch code.

This post has been edited by Ralna: Dec 30 2024, 03:34 AM

By the way, I recently bought some Canadian skincare products at 1/3, 1/4 or 1/5 of their usual prices. I was sceptical about why they were so cheap, but I decided to just buy and see what I'd get.

I bought 11 different products of the same brand from the same seller for RM150.10 (+ shipping fee, -RM30 Shopee voucher ) = RM128.58.
Seller also FOC 1 more product for me, so I had 12 products to try.

If I were to buy at usual prices, they'd cost around RM600-700. Since I was new to the brand, I wasn't comfortable spending a large amount just to test their products, so buying cheaper products was a good option for me.

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What I found out was those 12 products were produced in different years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024.

Those produced in 2019, 2020 and 2021... while already expired on paper (usual shelf life is 3 years from production year if unopened), they were not spoilt. The colour, smell and texture were normal as I compared on the product brand website. I tried the 2021 one (to remove fine lines), and it worked. I noticed the fine lines around my eyes were less noticeable after a week of use, and there wasn't any adverse reaction on my skin.

Although the near-expiry or expired skincare products may be less potent than recently produced ones, they're still usable as long as there are no changes to colour, texture, or smell.

I sometimes do a patch test on my facial skin to see if there's any adverse reaction (burn, sting, itch, get red, peeling, swelling, etc). If there's none, then it's fine to use. I have sensitive skin, so I'll know if the products are suitable for use or not fairly quickly.

I usually refrigerate those products once I receive them (unless its label says 'do not refrigerate'). Once I open them, I use them up within a month by applying generously once or twice daily on my face, chin and neck. & If I'm really concerned about using them on my face, then I will use them on my neck, hands or feet.

Usually, after trying and feeling satisfied with the initial results, I will buy those usual-priced ones or from official stores if I want to use them long-term on my face. Near-expiry or expired products are good for short-term testing, but not good for long-term use.

This post has been edited by Ralna: Dec 30 2024, 03:23 AM

wow.. thank you very much for the info! i am get one to try!