Fake Jergens lotion circulating in US

The US subsidiary of Japanese cosmetics firm Kao has warned customers that counterfeits of two of its lotion products have been discovered in the market.

The fake copies – falsely labelled as Jergens Ultra Healing 10 oz. and Jergens Original Scent 21 oz. - have so far been found only in the Northeastern US, according to Kao USA. The company said that without proper quality control to ensure the right formulation in each product, the fakes "may seriously put the safety and health of consumers at risk."

The counterfeit manufacturer replicated the UPC code and lot codes on the back of the package (UPC 19100-10998 and lot code X0G30055 for the 10 oz. product and UPC 19100-10994 with lot code X0G13154 for the 21 oz. product).

The counterfeit product can also be identified by "a thin, watery consistency and an unexpected or unpleasant texture, colour or odour." Examples of the counterfeits appear below:

Kao says that consumers, particularly those with impaired immune systems, should be careful not to use the counterfeit lotion.

"The safety of our consumers is, and always will be, the top priority at Kao USA," said Joe Workman, president of Kao Americas. "We will be working diligently with our retail partners to identify the source of the fake products and to ensure only genuine Jergens products are sold in their stores."