Best Method To Treat Acne and Cosmetic Calculator

Best Method To Treat Acne and Cosmetic Calculator

Best Method To Treat Acne and Cosmetic Calculator

Here is something I wanted to share with all of you since last week.  Be prepared as it is going to be a long, but definitely worth reading-cum-eye-opener post.

Just a few weeks back, I got 2-3 really stubborn breakouts on my face and no matter what I applied on them (toothpaste-Iodex-Clean and Clear Spot Treatment Gel, Turmeric paste, etc.), :stars: they where not ready to leave at all. I had to attend a grand party around the weekend and I didn’t want to attend it with 3 massive/ugly pimples on my face. I don’t know what on earth hit my head :headbang: which numbed my brain completely and I picked up “Soframycin” from our first aid kit and applied loads of it on my face :headbang:

The next morning, when I woke up, my face looked like a battleground of acne. It was full of breakouts, they were hurting bad, accompanied with itching and redness.  So, I had no option but to attend the party with loads of heavy makeup.  For the next two days, I kept delaying my visit to the dermatologist thinking it would settle on its own and I should have patience and just applied ice on my face to get some relief from redness and itching. By Monday morning, my face looked worst with more breakouts and I received a good round of bashing from my father for screwing up my face (he blamed all the makeup/cosmetics I use for it :nababana: 😥 ).

I rushed to the dermatologist immediately and he found out that I had some bad allergic reactions + acne relapse. He has now prescribed me really heavy antibiotics and some anti-acne gels. I have been following whatever he told me to and my skin is getting better.

I had a good round of interaction with the dermatologist and I even showed him our blog www.makeupandbeauty.com.
When I told him about all the foreign skin care brands I have been using since last year, he advised me to stick to indigenous brands. I told him that they are not in par with the quality I get from all the high-end foreign brands. The dermatologist then gave me a piece of his mind by explaining how all these “fancy-looking” imported skin care products we get in India are nothing but “foreign dumping” and how importers pick up huge stocks of useless/expired/discontinued products and make huge bucks here in India by selling them at high prices. He wasn’t against any particular brand/company, but he talked about it in general.  I asked him to suggest me some good Indian skin care brands then, but he postponed it for our next session/follow up appointment.

I was absolutely intrigued with whatever the dermatologist told me. I came home and started researching more about “foreign dumping.” I could now very well recall one chapter I read in economics about Liberalisation of Indian Economy in 1991” (courtesy our then, PM Mr. P.V. Narsimha Rao). Everything was suddenly making a lot of sense to me as I was reading more about the topic.

I discussed with Heer about all this and we found this really amazing link on the internet.  It is called “The Cosmetic Calculator” and here is the link to it.  The link allows you to check the manufacturing date, shelf life, expiry date of most of skin care/cosmetic/beauty brands in the world by entering their batch code.

I was shell shocked when I checked that most of my favourite products were either near expiry or they had expired long time back. Even Heer checked a few of her products which she had bought and some of them were expired too.  I ended up checking all the foreign/imported products I had that day and I found out that 50% of them were kaput. :tremble: :waaa:

Now, I can’t really pinpoint one particular brand/company whose products have turned out inferior nor can I claim that all the products which I bought online are the unworthy ones.

Here are a few pointers I can suggest you though:

  • Try to purchase products from counters.
  • Now that you have the link to the Cosmetic Calculator website, please check all the imported products you have on it.
  • I will definitely check Indian brands for skin care from now on.
  • Even if you are purchasing from proper counters, do come home and check its batch code on the Cosmetic Calculator website.  For example, Heer checked one of her expensive face washes from a very well-known skin care brand on the website and she found out that it was expired too and she had purchased it just a few months back, Heer has now tossed it away. :toothygrin:

Here are a few examples for your reference:

Product 1 – Brand “A”, I bought online just a week back.

expired cosmetic products

Result :scream: :scream: :scream:

result 1

Product 2:  “Brand B,” bought this online.

batch

Result :pompom: :pompom: :pompom:

cosmetics

Product 3:  “Brand A,” bought from over the counter.

manufacturing date

Result :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

Expiry Date

Product 4:  “Brand C,” bought online.

7

Result 😥 😥 😥

8

9

The website shows correctly that it was manufactured in feb 2010 and so does the product’s label, but while the website tells that it will expire in another 1 month i.e., by february 2012, the package of the product states 2013 ! How cool is that !

I can’t really comment whether the culprit is the whole online shopping thing or be judgemental about any particular brand. You have to now decide yourself what would you purchase/how you would purchase in the future. My main objective behind the whole post was just to acquaint and enlighten everyone and not to target any brand/online shopping scene, but this definitely leaves us with a very big question, why are gullible Indian people targeted by countries to dump their leftovers and who is to blame for all this??

The topic is really super debatable and at the moment I won’t get into any more complexities by writing or venting out my thoughts on the same, but I would definitely appreciate if you could give a thought on this and rationalise it for yourself.

To conclude my article; here are a few things I would like to mention:

  • While we do approve of “Daadi Maa-Naani Maa Ki nuskhe” (home remedies) when it comes to general/daily taking care of the skin, but I would suggest that you should rush to your dermatologist as soon as you see that first sign of distress on your skin. Please do not depend on silly products like toothpaste etc. to heal your skin and no matter what the situation is, Do Not just pick up any random thing you see and apply it on your face. In my case, the first wrong I did was delaying the visit and ignored those signs, applied Soframycin and secondly, I applied loads of makeup to conceal my breakouts which aggravated them even more. As a result, I had to undergo a lot of physical+mental stress and it ruined my one year’s hard work of taking good care of my skin.
  • We have to often struggle with one question when it comes to skin care whether to “save or splurge.”  I would suggest you should again consult a dermatologist and ask him to guide/suggest you products that fit in your budget. Also, following a good skin care routine even if you use decent drugstore brands which suit your skin type can do wonders for your skin.
  • I am personally going to pick more indigenous/Indian brands from now on.
  • I would restrict my online purchases.
  • Lastly, I would cross check whatever foreign/imported products I buy at the website “The Cosmetic Calculator” before I dispense off their invoices 😛

I hope you found my article useful 🙂

P.S.:  Nupur is not speaking against online shopping.  She has pointed out instances where she has bought products over-the-count also, so please do not think that she is advocating against online shopping.

Love,

Yours sincerely 😀 😀

Nufur or fur-fur or nupuri or nu or furfuriya or NUPUR

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279 thoughts on “Best Method To Treat Acne and Cosmetic Calculator

  1. Nupuriz…but we should hardly blame the liberalization measures taken by P.V Narsimha Rao and Manmohan singh back in 1991 because India was on the verge of economic breakdown and the policies and liberalization policies they took turned India’s future into a better one. I have not studied Economics, but I am interested in politics and how things actually worked. But, I agree with you when you state that “India” becomes a dumping ground not only for cosmetic companies but also for drug trials/medicine trials. There are vaccines/medicines etc which are dumped into India after their expiry or simply for trying their efficacy. Tribal people who are unaware of what they are getting into are lured into this. Something serious needs to be done about this….this is definitely a serious issue O:)

    1. Totally agree with you for once 😛 😛 Jomolayyy…I think there’s a lot of good that has come out of liberalization and India opening up…and I hope nobody beats me up for saying this, but if we buy products without knowing what the expiry dates on it are, then..err..to some extent it is our fault and not related to foreign policy and economics.

      What I mean is, even I didn’t know all this, but I guess I just learned with grocery shopping…check expiry dates on stuff like milk and bread and that habit just carried on to lipstick shopping 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 Oh and this applies to medicines too…my mom has these stockpiles of medicines with her “for emergency” which of course don’t get used up…and then we have to check the exp. dates and throw them away so she doesnt get sick 😐 😐

      1. Rads….. :happydance: thank you for agreeing. I always do check expiry date of food items, medicines, and everything that goes down my system. I don’t use any syrup or opened medicine if that thing has been left open for over a month. But, you know this case that came up in RCC in trivandrum. They were using cancer trial drugs on Indian patients, that is a wrong practice.

        But, liberalization in trade and FDI are all good for India I guess, nothing wrong about it. I have read that if the policies were not eased back then in 1991, it would have been really scary.

        1. NAAaaah..I totally agree with you on healthcare thing too…here naa doctors will tell you everything..and without your consent nobody can do anything..written informed explained consent. In India, it’s like normal ppl don’t have brains..they don’t need any explanation..and they just get treated like they are getting a favor from the docs!! I can crib and crib and crib about it forever….today is I am agreeing with you on everything day 😀 😀

              1. Jomol you know today I went to this place that was a small butterfly sanctuary. And I walked everywhere searching for butterflies and I couldn’t see anything..and my hubby was like I can show you butterflies in Bangalore only more than this kinds…and you know just as we were planning to leave I saw some people standing near one tree…and we went and saw naaa…OMG..you won’t believe it..like I couldn’t believe it…actually those trees…the branches had clumps of butterflies just hanging …and it’s so thick thick long clumps of butterflies…I never realized that they were butterflies and I hadn’t noticed earlier. I have never seen something like this in all my life….it’s I guess most amazing thing I have seen in a long long time…so me all disoriented and being nice to you 😛 😛 😛 O:) O:) O:)

                1. Wow Rads….you are so lucky to see it….I have read about these butterflies which sort of sit in clusters…..but they might be beautiful to see, you clicked it….I want to see :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

                    1. I would love to see that, you take a stick and beat the tree or branch, and it flies all over…. :happydance: :happydance:

                    2. :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: molesting a butterfly :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:

          1. Rads, I cant tell u how much I agree with u on the “ppl just get treated like they are getting a favor from the docs” thing… Worse, the docs act like they r doing us favour too!! There are good ones of course, who actually take time to explain their treatments.. But some just act like we are wating their time by even asking questions!! :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff:

            1. I know!!!!!!!!!!! And my parents naa..they keep telling..oh we can’t ask them this…we can’t ask them that….and I am like WTH…that’s their job…to treat you…and it’s your job to ask the questions…my mom tho mahaaaan person now she goes to doctor and says “my daughter asked me to ask you….” I was like 😐 😐 😐 She putting all blame on me as if the doctor is going to call and shout at me !!!

              1. Rads, you know because most of these doctors, even those who sit at apollo, have this, “do you doubt my ability” if you ask them questions. If you ask questions, they think you are not convinced, but my gynec is real good and takes time in explaining everything. You know some doctors don’t even tell the patients what they are suffering and why they are suffering. Just see the patient and scribble something. No interaction. 😐 😐 😐 😐 😐

                  1. Haaan I know such doctors…and I hate them…I give them an equally good “yes I am doubting your ability” look back…not because I am so brave or anything..is just that I am very scared that people who cannot explain what they are doing means they don’t really know what they are doing…hehheeee…. :toothygrin: :toothygrin: obviously I am not the most popular patient 😛 😛

                    1. These doctors get lots and lots of hard cash from drug companies for selling their ware…And they prescribe all these experimental drugs without any concern.. They do trials without consent…really sad..And they dont even help a single poor patient who will die because he had no money to buy medicine.. :((

              2. Same story here. Only dad though, not mom. My mom just doesnt get up from her chair until the doc tells her everything she needs to know, no matter how rude the doc gets… The poor guy doesnt really have a choice… He has to tel her :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:
                “my daughter asked me to ask you” 😆 😆 But thats a safe tareeka na.. The doc cant argue with her; she’s asking on ur behalf, n obviously he cant argue with u bcoz u arent there.. :toothygrin: :toothygrin:

                1. I know!!! But I am okay with it…let her tell any bahaaana…at least I know what’s happening with her and I made her read out reports and stuff. My dad tho OMG..dont get me started…he is absolutely hopeless. He just doesn’t know anything at all…ask him anything he is clueless….my mom keeps telling “he’s old” 😀 😀 😀 😀

                  1. Same here!!!!!! He is absolutely clueless! Err.. But according to mom, in his case, he was like this even when he was young.. 😐 😐
                    I wonder if it has something to do with being a guy :methinks: :methinks:

    2. I know jomolay, I m not blaming the 91 liberalization and free trade policies for it completely, but u see, somehow such policies gave enough impetus to Importers to bring in tons/huge lots of products…..
      one of our family frend is a major importer of confectionery items like those biscuits which come in tin boxes-munchinies, chocolates, juice cans etc. He tells us that they 90%of what they import is kaput. and they repackage and re stamp it with fictitious manufacturing and expiry dates. When I asked him what if customs ppl or govt catch u doing all this, he laughed out loud and said unko toh humne sambhal rakha hai 😐 😐 😐 😐

      1. they repackage and re stamp it with fictitious manufacturing and expiry dates. 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯
        thts even worse… then something like tht wouldnt even work on cosmetic caculator :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff:

        1. Nupur, we do have proper rules to check these malpractices but the problem is that those who should implement these rules can be bribed :headbang:

            1. Just an andhar ki baat I want to tell you, I have my relatives in the customs department and I know how easily everything can be put under the carpet….you know what I mean :secret2: :secret2: :secret2: :secret2: :secret2: :secret2: :secret2: :secret2: :secret2: :secret2:

    3. bt jomol dumping z wrng v r humans n if dy wil dump the products in india dn indians will loose there beauty …
      :preen: :scream:
      hav u ever been to crawford markt there u can see big big bootles of loreal n biolage at cheap rates but all dose r dumpng products dy wil gv u loreal big bottle plus tub condtioner for just 500 rs c dis z bad :spank: :spank: :announce: dnt buy frm there at all
      i bot matrix deep conditioner frm beauty centre crawford on sat i hope its nt expired or duplicate :waiting: :nababana: 😥 :headbang: :spank:

  2. Fabulous article, Nupur! I think checking the ingredients list and expiry dates on labels before buying is something that we should be doing automatically…like how we won’t buy a product without checking the pricetag or something that basic. Most products have an expiry date mentioned on them on their packaging or as a sticker, and I won’t buy it if that label or writing is missing..that itself is a big red flag for me 😐 😐 😐

    1. Rads, I agree with u on this… But as Nupur says, “The website shows correctly that it was manufactured in feb 2010 and so does the product’s label, but while the website tells that it will expire in another 1 month i.e., by february 2012, the package of the product states 2013 ”
      if the label itself states the wrong expiry date then we are being duped :headbang: :headbang: 😥 😥

      1. Ya I know…I was, of course, assuming that the brand/seller won’t do things like putting fake labels. Actually Nupur and me..we keep telling…no buying perfumes online because we are like who knows how old they are or if they are real or just something filled in a bottle 😀 😀 😀 Seriously though, this info is really useful..I tho will check everything even if I buy from the counter now 😀 😀

        1. “If they r real or just something filled in a bottle” 😆 😆
          My friend had a bad experience with a perfume she got online that was supposedly “Nina Ricci” but in reality gave her a bad allergic reaction n gave her rash… N it didnt even smell like Nina 😐 😐 😐

        2. Rads, I would never buy a high-end perfume online. If you buy something for Rs. 3000 to 4000, better go to the store and get it. Gold and perfumes are something that I would never buy online, save for say, Avon perfumes, which are really good and smell awesome :yahoo: :yahoo:

          1. Hehheee yaaa Ramya…these perfumes look like water only naaa…and I tho am not very familiar with perfumes…I won’t know if they just put some nice smelling water inside 😐 😐

            Jomol…heheeee perfumes and gold :worship: :worship: :worship: :worship: but you know Avon sells through their representatives and here they sell online on their website too..but ultimately it’s the company’s own thing na..is like buying from counter only na…I won’t buy from other sites that sell different brands kinds…kind of like ebay 😛 😛 Is not directly sold by the company na

            1. Thats true… Perfumes look like water only 😐 And I wud never have guessed if my friend hadnt got that rash.. After that incident we went to the counter n sprayed Nina (the real one this time) and realised what had happened.. :pan: :pan:
              AGree completely abt Avon.. Just like buying from counter.. :yahoo: :yahoo:

          2. Gold online!!! Never! :worship: :worship: Whats the price of gold today?
            But am gonna do the same for skincare too now :makeup: :makeup:

    2. thankooooo Rads 🙂
      ya right, we do check expiry date and all of consumables…. but what to do if the expiry date mentioned on ur cosmetic in not korrectsss :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

  3. Thanks Nupur for sharing such a useful information :puchhi:
    I hope foreign outlets like Walmart or Macy’s open here too and we get all these wonderful products over the counter in India. Maybe we can all write an open lett to Manmohan Singh about this :hihi:

    1. thankyou Smitha 🙂
      yah, I do wish we had all proper stores and pharmacies which stocked all the brands and products we would like to use :methinks: :methinks: :methinks: :methinks: :methinks: :methinks:

  4. grt one Nuu… I will also check now- for the products bought online..
    when I get OTC I pakka se check that time…
    that day when you told about the soframycin incident i was so worried… good thing the derma explained everything… that is one reason I didnt get any skincare thingy online yet… or I’m going crazy over the korean BB creams
    hope you are well now Nuuuu… BTW- did you get my card?

    1. Thanku Beena 🙂
      Haan plz check the products u get OTC too… 🙂
      Haan my skin is healing now 🙂 nhi card nohi mila , kaahn bheja tha :worship: :worship: :worship:

  5. I think this cosmetic revolution gained a momentum after our beauties started winning crowns in international beauty paegents and every girl in India started idolizing them, nothing wrong with that either, but then selling us expired products is not done at all :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:

  6. Nupur, thanks for sharing all this, its such an eye opener… :puchhi: :puchhi:
    Definitely gonna make use of the cosmetic calculator from now on… Cant believe Indians are victims of all this… :(( :((
    I too will restrict my online purchases n try to stick to Indian brands… Better that than risking our precious skin… :haanji: :haanji: :haanji:

    1. Thanku Ramya 🙂
      Plz do use this calculator from now on… waise I am not blaming sirf online shopping for this, coz thr r some brands jinke liye i wud still have to shop online 😐 😐 😐

      1. Right!!! Even having bought it at a store (as Heer mentioned) if she could still be a victim then we need to be careful always regardless of where we get it from…
        Indian brands might be a tad safer though… Lotus/BK products are quite good n they suited me well.. For basic skincare I might just stick to them!
        U definitely gave us food for thought :haanji: :haanji:

  7. hii Nupur, Thanks for your post its going to help us all alot and please do share with us the info u will get from your doc from your next session. tc

  8. but then how many Indian brands cater to specific problems? a few years back in terms of face products we could only get those frothy snow creams… suncscreens strted gaining momentum 3-4 yrs back… tab tak it was all “fair and lovely”

    1. haan Beeni…dats what i told d derma 😐 😐 but he said, thy r changing now 🙂 I will be asking him some good Indian skin care brands on my follow up session 🙂

    2. Beeni, I agree with u on that… But brands like Lotus/Aroma Magic are quite good. They are not as good as the International ones.. But they do a fairly good job. For basic skincare we could use that, n for makeup we could go for the imported stuff (with the calc’s help of course)..

        1. Ho phir teek you….mein socchi you seriously calling super intelligent…majjak majjak mein you can call Nupuriz intelligent, but when you are serious, you know who to call that :knife: :knife: :knife: :knife: :knife: :knife:

            1. Deepsika :spank: :spank: :spank: I will call you this way only…without any “h”…hawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…I now understood…..you calling Nupuriz “a GENT working in intel” :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:

  9. Im so glad that I dont shop online 😛

    I used the cosmetic calculator to check most of my products and tossed whatever had already expired,some of them v exp products :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: (nuthing was mentioned on the package so its v hard to know 🙁 🙁 🙁 )

    And now for all products i’ll buy ,I will use the calculator 🙂

  10. I have never bought anything online til now..Iam super duper happy about it.. :yahoo: …..I feel spendin more n gettin things from the shop directly is way better than being duped like this….I have been readin alot of complaints recently about many reputed sites sendin expired,scratched,opened products… :spank: :spank:

    1. Preetha its not only online…but its also products u buy from stores which have no exp dates mentioned on them…i bought products from …… and …..((2 big brands))quite recently but imagine they have already expired!!!

      1. like heer just mentioned, its not just online shopping which is wrong …if u see my product 2 brand B example…i bought it online and its just fine 🙂

        1. ya ur rite..but chances of being duped by online shoppin sites are more..am not against online shoppin at al..shoppin toh shoppin hai.. :yahoo:

  11. such an useful and informative post Nuu. I am shocked to know all this.Will definitely check the expiry dates of my stuff today.Infact Now. :jog:

  12. no doubt why cosmetics business is so booming day by day!
    they are cheaters! this post is definitely an eye opener!!!
    will check from now on in the calculator.
    thankyou Nupur for the info:)

  13. furrr I am bringing out all my products and checking them. :chewnails Although you told me about it so many days back i just couldnt find time to do so. I’d rather do it NOW. Reporting in 10-15 minutes. :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

        1. thats right …starts with 3rd letter of the alphabet..wont take the name. :shutmouth: :shutmouth: :shutmouth: :shutmouth: :shutmouth: ..but yeah from an authorised counter and then it turns out its already expired … :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:

  14. Wowwwww..this is such an awesomeeeeeeee post nupur..i didn’t even know about it….lovely!!!! :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

  15. Oh god thats really useful to know Nupur!! Diff expiry dates :zombiekiller: :headbang: :headbang: …. so Scary…:yikes: :yikes: Thanks a ton for sharing and really hope u get back ur gorgeous skin back soon :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose:

  16. i already have got taste of fake products from my OPI nail paints. I have always wondered how these people are able to sell OPI here . If OPI were to launch itself in India, they would have officially done so.. :shutmouth:

        1. which website she bought from…we should ban it!!! :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:

      1. actually cali remember that green nail paint. everyone was asking which nail paint it was so I thought i’d mention the name. So when i read the name it said “blue” something. I got confused wondering why would they name such a stark green nail paint as blue . So i started searching online and found that the original nail paint with that name is actually blue. I thought may be there was some labelling mistake. I searched the entire opi website, their limited collections and what not. That color does not exist in the range of OPI nail paints. Also the brush is so fat that it makes you wonder whether a nail paint giant would miss out on the nail paint brush detail. I checked my other opi nail paints too and the story is the same. those colors are not present in opi .

        I went back to kunchals to see which other brands they have. There is one called orly or orli.. dont know and I am sure that too is fake.

        1. this is shocking rati…sacch mein….its so tough to know what is real and what is fake… :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 :scream: :scream: :scream: :scream: :scream: :scream: :scream: :(( :(( :(( :(( :(( :(( :(( :(( :(( :(( :((

            1. awwwww..koi naa…i think may be they also weren’t aware of this goof up…. :(( ..you take care!! :puchhi: :puchhi: :puchhi: :puchhi: :puchhi: :puchhi: :puchhi:

      1. Heer, she got those OPI nail polishes na, the neon colour ones, she paid the original price that one pays for the brand, but what she got was dupe :headbang:

        1. hawwwwwwwww..thats so bad!!! :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble:

      2. i got it from kunchals here shanaiia. they sell a lot of international stuff along with the regular brands. They call it imported. I am wondering where are they importing the stuff from.

        1. “OPI nail lacquers are available @ Juice salons Nail Bar outlets..dont know if u have them in Delhi..but what they sell is original..i will still go there and check the code number online and let u know..

  17. Thank God I bought only Indian brands online..Was always skeptical about buying perfumes and all.There is no guarantee about expiry date and whether its used or what the contents are. They may be filling up the empty bottles with mystery water in a warehouse somewhere.
    Even you or me cay buy those shipment cargoes of ‘assorted cosmetics’ very very cheap online as bulk. And the sellers can then sell the individual stuff at high rates with a label slapped on it.
    Dont even think about buying something that comes from Japan… girls.. officially the place is filled with radioactive water. Its so scary that it has contaminated everything for miles and miles and we dont even know how much because the authorities will never say the truth.
    Thanks for the link Nupur… its so useful. We all check the expiry dates on everything but there was no way to know about the products that we put on our bodies..
    Abroad, everything can be returned to store if you dont like it..And they are strict about expiry dates.. Think of these two things before you buy anything..
    Sorry for the long post.. 😉

  18. good news good news :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: None of my products are expired. :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: Bt the catch is that i purchased all of them from the company stores. None of them has been purchased online. Me happy :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

    1. he he he..even mine most of the foreign products are from germany only..and what i purchased online long time back are all over..so can’t test them anyways!! 😐 😐 😐 😐 😐 😐 😐 :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue:

    2. thats great Rati 🙂
      but from now on , i ll check all the products I buy irrespective of the fact that i buy it from proper counters/online, taking a lesson from Heer’s face wash example :victory2: :victory2: :victory2: :victory2: :victory2: :victory2: :victory2: :victory2:

  19. thsi is an eye opener Nupur..thank you so much for sharing it! I have not bought any foreign products online but will def check for some of my makeup products hopefully they wont be expired :chewnails

  20. Really this is sooooooo informative. Thank you so much Nupur…….BTW it’s late but Very happy b’day :present: :puchhi: :teddy:

  21. Why buy cosmetics online anyhow? Even if you are buying Indian cosmetics, you can still be a victim of dumping.

    If you want to purchase online, purchase from original manufacturers who have their online shops and NOT online retailers hoarding makeup stuff of god knows when.

    1. True Sanjeev 🙂
      If u have ever been to karol Bagh gaffar market, its like the hub of all the “IMported maal”
      and i see so many ladies buying bag full of stuff from thr :worship: :worship: :worship: :worship: :worship:

    2. ya true too….real eye-opener..E-bay scares me the most..If they have feedback and still sell fakes and old stuff what about online stores…its money down the drain and health issues..But few good online stores are there still..

  22. Great Article Nupur… It was so much informative and a real eye opener.. I always had the tendency to think that just because its a foreign brand it should be good… I will be more aware from now on…Thank u so much…

    1. Thanks Richa 🙂 that cud be the easiest way out, but if u can find good sources from where u can get genuine foreign brands, then why not :victory2: :victory2: :victory2: :victory2: :victory2: :victory2:

        1. i just saw :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: i so wanted to learn photoshop. My mom asked me to join photoshop classes so many times. I dint then and now I badly want to learn but no time :waaa: :waaa: :waaa: :waaa: :waaa:

          1. even i want to learn photoshop..i always go gaga seeing the artwork people publish using photoshop..i installed the trial version long time back..but couldn’t get the heads and tails of it and finally uninstalled it!!! :stars: :stars: :stars: :stars: :stars: :stars: :stars: :stars: :stars:

  23. Such a fantastic eye opener of an article Nupur its great of u to share, will definitely use the cosmetic calculator ,and by the way i too had used toothpaste on my acne and it had left a dark brown scar on my face

  24. very useful info Nupur. thanks for bringing it to our notice. sure makes us wake up and get more alert about things like this. it is just so sad that ppl will do anything for money..and yeah we all do it for food items becos somewhere that directly affects our health but we tend to be careless abt what we put on our face becos in the larger scheme of things thats second priority :(..

    1. Thanks Aruna 🙂 I was mightly upset when i learnt about all this after my exp with d derma… i had to share it wid everyone here… i hope it is of some help 🙂

  25. just to check out the calculator i tried to check my imported vaseline handcream i bought from H&G.

    when i entered the batch no this shows – ‘Error: specified code is not correct, or not supported.’

    and there is packaging date mentioned.. on the tube. but no expiry date mentioned anywhere at all.. no best before three years or some such..!!! 😯 😯 😯 :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff:

    1. Neha… check for the batch code ache se on the packaging… see if its thr on the crimp…. n agr kahin nhi mile toh matlab samjh jaao k thy removed it off 😀 😀 😀 simpledddd :tongue: :tongue:

      1. batchcode is not there on the crimp but its below it ..in print… beside the packaging date..
        i even tried neutrogena sunscreen ka batch number which is on the crimp.. uska bhi its showing and error msg…
        does the calculator not like me? or i have a dubious products lying around :chewnails :chewnails :chewnails :chewnails :chewnails

            1. Same here with neutrogena moisturizer. It shows error message. Also, I purchased a shampoo from a leading retail outlet two months back, the expiry date on the bottle is 2014 however this calc shows just 7 months left 🙁 and I purchased revlon online and expiry date on both the product and the calc is same 2013 ..phew! .. Good article Nupur, thanks!

  26. OMG!!!!! Nupur this is such an eye opener :yes: :yes: its kinda freaky how these big brands might be looting us. need to keep a watch out there. hopefully i havent gotten any stuff onl. but so gonna check the over counter stuff too. Thanks so much for sharing this 🙂

    1. NOH, Not at all Priti … just check their maufacturing and expiry dates… if nothing is mentioned, check their batch code on the link i have given for cosmetic calculator

  27. thanks see..u.im on a hunt for a good foundation..i hav combination acne prone skin…whatever cosmetics i use my skin comes up with pimples…can u suggest me something…i hav to cover my acne marks for my dream date which is on 16th feb

  28. Superb article Nupur.. i discovered this website when i got some lipglosses from online shopping which dint have any expiry date and looked slytly spoilt. I checked the expiry date online and shockingly it was almost 3months past the expiry date. I returned the product and the seller sent me some fresh items, though initially they tried to say it is not true and cosmetics doesnt expire so fast. I too now wll go more fr indigenous brands, but i wish our desi brands wud expand in size and collection range :waaa: :waaa: :waaa:

  29. Rads n jomol, i am a MBBS student. just finished my studies, n in our syllabus, we were actually taught that we are supposed to explain everything to the patient and clear all their doubts, so that the treatment is beneficial for them and avoid any confusion. :haanji: :haanji: but when i myself go to a doctor, or when my family members go for consultations, the doctors never explain!! my parents n sister get so confused sometimes n call me up :stars: …i get annoyed that some docs don’t do their jobs properly :-/

    1. btw, very informative article nupur! thanks! :teddy: :teddy: i was wondering why so many good foreign brand products haven’t been showing any miracle on my skin…guess i know now :tremble:

      1. Hey Tinkerbell..am sure all doctors learn it in college…but not everyone practices what they learn na 😀 I have met some awesome doctors, but I know there are all kinds.

  30. please imbb beauties..please help me find a good foundation…i tell u i never worn a foundation in my life…im doing it just to impress this guy…i have som many acne marks and dry patches
    how will i face him in my own skin

  31. please imbb beauties..please help me find a good foundation…i tell u i never worn a foundation in my life..i have so many acne marks and dry patches

  32. I am finding it hard to take out time to check imbb these days… just opened it today to see this gem of an info
    thank you so much for sharing Nupur
    agree to the fact that derma prescribed products are much better…somehow using himalaya night cream is making me feel better abi else I was always doubtful about it:)
    btw i would love to know which derma you visit?

  33. My father always used to say the same things about these foriegn brands . He insisted on getting the same stuff when he went abroad instead of getting it from here . And now everything he said has started making sense 😐 😐
    And going to the derma for me has been like a vicious circle ,i have pimples -i go to see him -he gives me tablets and creams-my skin get a lot okay . But then after a few months of stopping those tablets and gels ,skin gets the same :(( :((
    Try using multani mitti and calamine and also try cutting down on oily/spicy food .You have no idea how much difference it can give you . I realised that when I had chickenpox and i had to eat khichdi for a week . I had so many pimples before and they just got magically cleared in a week :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

    Oh and for spot treatments na ,use Caladryl ,its a concentrated form of lacto calamine,can be found at any medical shop. It dries up pimples and never leaves scars ,tried and tested :dumb: :dumb:

    1. Ritika….thank you darlingo for suggesting Caladryl…… :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

  34. Extremely valuable article Nupur…. I havent heard of such a website before.

    However I am a person who always value quality over price so I always buy stuff in store and also look for expiry dates or date till when product is good after opening.

    I dont know how many of you guys buy from strawberry net ,many of my colleagues do.However i dont wont to risk buying good brands online as I feel it might have been in the ware house for a long time, it is not worth the cheap price.

    I checked some of my products using the website everything was ok, except a cleanser from one of my favourite brands.I only bought it last year, and the product was only launched last Jan.However the website says this product expired in 2006 ??? :chewnails :chewnails :chewnails im really confused now…. do you think this website works for all products ?

    1. Thanks Supriya 🙂
      Now, I wud only buy from websites which can trust….
      I wud suggest that u check whtever u hav bought from strawberry.net or any other wesbite for that matter on the cosmetic calculator website…. n make sure u enter the right batch code 🙂

      1. about ur cleanser, did it launch in ur country last yr or was it a new launch all together?
        I have checked the website for most of the brands, and it does work…. I hope ur entering the correct batch code…

  35. hey Nu…. hope your acne trouble has come down …. :puchhi: :puchhi: :puchhi: :puchhi: :puchhi: Sweety…. this is one of the best articles which I have come across from all your posts…will bookmark this one for sure…and I am very glad to know you have taken a nice decision to try indian brands religiously …. also can I request you to do a post on the medicated creams your derm has suggested… take care :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:

  36. hi nupur im so greatfull to u because as this is the eye opener post for many indian girls like me, im a girl facing skin problems like acne,spots,rashes……….. i have been to dermatalogist many times bt they r not bothered to explain wat is the problem and till nw im suffering this time i hav fixed an appointment wid a famous dermatalogist here in bangalore hope he will treat me well and explains wats d exact problem wid my skin. :headbang: :headbang:

    LOADS N LOADS THANKS FOR RATI AND IMBB GANG LOVE U ALL :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

  37. What an eye opener!!!!!!!!! We always think expiry dates are important but rarely have I given it a serious thought regarding whether I know about all my products expiry dates or not!!! & how I can make sure.. thank u sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much Nupur for pointing out the calculator!! Gosh!!! I’m so scared to check my products coz I know I will have to chuck out some :waaa: but its my skin on the line for the love of God! I cant thank u enough! N m so sorry u went thru all that with ur skin n that too 2-3 weeks before ur bday!!! Foreign dumping is such a real scare truly. Thanks again for sharing this & enlightenin us about these issues. :heart:

  38. Lovely informative article Nupurr :yes: :yes: … But moving to indigenous brands doesnt help the cause at all is what i feel :nababana: :nababana: . Recently i did read a newspaper article on how Lakme, Johnson & J ,Uniliver products are sold fake in the market. Raids by health officials showed that a considerable amount of local brands are infact fake. I am really skeptical about using any baby products on my baby and the doctor has strictly advised against the use of lotions and other creams. :pan: :pan:

  39. wow thank u so much for sharing this….i just ordered a box of products online which i expect to get today or tommorrow….I am really scared now….i will definitely check them and all my existing products using the calculator…..I hope to god nothing has expired….. :chewnails :chewnails

  40. Bingo! ye calculator to sai hai, but the websites owners have placed the disclaimer on their website, so we cannot trust them too.
    India is a dumping ground for many things: imported fruits,food products, pharmaceuticals, clothes, cosmetics..

    Reasons 1) the quality check not very stringent here. 2) Smuggling baaaahut zyada hai,which gives mind boggling money aur koi qlty check nai. 3) Our love for everthing phoren

    Gaffar, church gate aur sarojini are the big dumping grounds for smugglers. wahan din ka crores ka business hai, police ko hafta jaata hai.. saara china wahin se bikta hai, humari industries ka bahut raw material wahin se aata hai. bahut saare retail stores bhi direct wahin se apna maal procure karti hain.

    Walmart wagrah bhi bahut store karte hain, bahut kuch expired hota hai bade retail stores main bhi.

  41. Excellent post Nupur ! very informative:)) Just one of the reasons why I love IMBB. So many of you out there to give information on unheard of topics…. I have been sufferring from various skin issues and have finally found solace in homeopathy… and our desi products like vicco, biotique, oats, red sandalwood to name a few. The results are not short of miracle I must say and I need to thank all you wonderful girls out there and Rati for starting this wonderful wonderful forum. I have also been using my vit c serum that I wrote about on this blog…. hope you recover very soon…..

  42. please do suggest some remedy for acne. my acne are mild so there is no need to go to doc but every bow and then i do get them

  43. Informative post and an eye opener for sure.. :yes:
    Also, I want to insist this particular point.. Usually people look into only the exp date..
    :announce: In some cosmetics and food items, it is mentioned that once opened use with x no. of months, for ex.. prod. date – 10/11 and exp. date – 10/13 but use within 6 months once opened.. Many just feel that they can use the product till 2013.. It is wrong..
    Going to check the calculator soon.. :jog:

    1. Thanks Laxi 🙂
      wht ur talking abt is called PAO – Period After opening….
      To specify how long you can use your product after you opened it, cosmetic manufacturers specify Period after opening (PAO). Try to find “open jar” sign with a number followed by the letter M, where number indicates how many months the product can be safely used for after opening. For example, 6M means that product can be used during six months after opening; 12M means that product can be used during twelve months after you opened it etc.

  44. this is the best article i’ve read in looooong time!! u deserve a big bear hug for literally opening my eyes!!! true, v must never delay derma visits…i too delayed inspite of getting horrid ones! fir i took isotretinoin n its comin down alot! my derma too advices mac for makeup! :puchhi: :puchhi:

    1. Thanks suku 🙂
      But isotretinoin shud be taken only wen derma s prescribe it and uski dosage bhi zaada nhi honi chahiye … i hope u hve asked ur derma abt it 🙂
      ummmm…. waise MAC stuff breaks me out 😀 😀

  45. But Nupur ponds age miracle has launched the new night and day cream and the batch is given as B001 but wen i enter that code it shows error but i cant see the batch no anywhere else so what to do :waiting:

  46. But on the base the mfg date is given as 12/11 its a newly launched product so where is the batch no .its nt taking B001

  47. Isotretinoin has dangerous side effects .My derma had prescribed me tufacne which had this dangerous isotretinoin .I took tufacne for a month and stopped it and never went back to that derma.It gave me a huge fright reading about the side effects :pissedoff: To cure something why should i subject myself to such danger :sidefrown:

  48. Its written made in india manufactured by lic user hindustan lever its the new ponds age miracle deep action night cream and cell regen day cream

  49. There is a twelve digit no below the bar code but if i enter that no it shows valid for one month more but how can a product manufactured in december 2011 have only one month validity i dont think the twelve digit no is the batch no

  50. Thank you for sharing this, Nupur. This is truly shocking. I hope your skin heals well soon. You seem to be in good hands to have a doctor who took the time to explain why this happened so that it can be prevented. What an eye-opener!

  51. Great article Nupur…eye opening… me gonna check all my recent purchases ..this is what makes IMBB a great place…one learns a lot on a daily basis 🙂

  52. Thank you so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, O:) O:) You did a great job, I would always use this cosmetic calculator. I was always suggested to use indian brands as products are made for South Asian;s complexion unlike foreign products…. IMBB is my beauty school… I swear by it.. :preen: :preen:

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