Salmon is great as food -- it's a consensus. But to have a bit of it in beauty products can probably raise some eyebrows, especially when the extracted part is not the meat but its milt. The seminal fluid is mixed with other ingredients and here we have locally-made salmon semen soap.
If salmon sperm is not what you're interested in, also on offer in the market are many other unconventional, exotic ingredients that you won't imagine are used in the billion-baht domestic cosmetic industry. If bee and snake venoms do not sound bizarre enough, what about star fish extract, salmon placenta and salmon ovary?
The emergence of not-so-common cosmetic ingredients used in many products available on the shelves is actually not new (think sheep placenta and snail slime). But apparently the popularity of such unconventional beauty components is on the rise. Look around flea markets and shopping malls and you will definitely come across stalls and shops that have these goods for sale. These unusual ingredients might sound peculiar to some but that does not seem to stop make-up enthusiasts giving them a try.
Cosmetic stalls at a Bangkok shopping mall. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul
"Consumers love to try something new and different," said Siwattra Sinphasutadol, general manager at one of the cosmetic shops in Bangkok's Sampeng wholesale market. The shop, which has also expanded its business online, has the said items on offer.
"Even though the exotic ingredients are something customers might never imagine to use as a cosmetic, as long as the product claims to have some benefits for the skin, they tend to dare go for it. The power of marketing, especially with presenters, is the major reason behind the products' popularity."
The idea of adding the aforementioned ingredients to skincare potions has already existed in some global beauty brands. For instance, Valmont skincare products are claimed to contain DNA extracted from Canadian salmon milt. The idea of using toxins to care for the skin also has been around for ages. The injection of a neurotoxic protein called botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, for example, has become widely recognised for its ability to reduce wrinkles and rejuvenate the ageing face. This is the same with snake and bee venoms.
"Whether the product renders prominent effects after use is actually what consumers care for the most. Those that can whiten and soften the skin can always make high sales. Consumers don't really mind about reliability," said Siwattra. Her customers range from lower incomes to ladies that lunch.
The variety of "unique" products, according to Siwattra, is not only a result of customers' demands but also the surge and competitiveness of entrepreneurs in the cosmetic industry -- a business a lot of people opt to start with after leaving their full-time jobs.
"Those with more outstanding products and stronger marketing plans are likely to be successful," added Siwattra.
The cosmetic market of today not only abounds with products with uncommon mixtures extracted or synthesised from animal parts. Some simple products like soap can also be made special by adding extra features such as herbal soap with holy water that claims to bless users with some luck.
"This is quite new to the market," added Siwattra, referring to the holy water soap. "I've never seen products in this line with such a marketing strategy before. But I do believe that it could be marketable as it's so different. And people will be easily interested in something like this, especially in such an economic downturn where people hope for the better."
The expansion of e-commerce and online marketing is another factor enabling market growth. However, with such an availability and accessibility of odd beauty products, ensuring product safety has become a critical issue.
Thailand recently implemented the Cosmetic Act 2015, which focuses on two major areas -- pre-marketing and post-marketing activities.
All cosmetic products are required by law to indicate important information in Thai such as ingredients, the name of the manufacturer, statutory warning and batch number.
Before producing or importing cosmetics, manufacturers and importers are required to declare to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) all substances each product is to contain before taking further production steps. This to ensure that products will not have any harmful ingredients. Once it is approved, the manufacturing and importing can begin.
But even with permission, there is still a high chance for manufacturers to not do what they declared earlier. It is then the responsibility of the authority from the FDA to inspect the market, which is a part of their post-marketing activities.
According to the FDA, inspections are performed periodically throughout the year. Priority is given to products that have received complaints from consumers as well as products that seem to contain harmful substances. Should any product be found to have fraudulent features or detrimental to health, it will be recalled or confiscated.
Advertising is another huge concern. The law only allows products to state their benefits in terms of cosmetic scope and purposes. But in reality, especially in the cyberworld, product features are usually exaggerated.
Sataporn Arakwathana of the Foundation for Consumers said authorities can take action immediately once false claims are suspected. But too often authorities say they haven't received complaints from consumers. As for the Foundation itself, it has no legal authorisation to do anything against the products' owners or manufacturers.
However, if a cosmetic is likely to be over advertised, contains dubious ingredients or receives a complaint, the Foundation would look for similar products in the market that belong to the same lot to spur an investigation.
"When it comes to cosmetics, I found that not many consumers file a complaint. Probably because in most cases, cosmetics don't have that intense impact on life compared to food," said Sataporn. "Nonetheless, customers should be very aware of it [health impacts] before making a decision to purchase these products, especially if advertising influences your choice.
"Consumers must keep in mind that cosmetics do not yield immediate change to skin structure doesn't mean there are no pharmaceutical attributes. It may little by little cause an improvement to the skin. So if any cosmetic brand claims to be able to create an instant effect, chances are that's not true. Another thing is if it claims to be 100% safe, that's impossible because even if it's safe for one person, it doesn't mean for all.
"We cannot judge if any cosmetic is hazardous by its ingredients alone. But if consumers notice any irregularity or if particular ingredients seem too strange, they should check directly with the FDA on whether the product has been approved."
