China KOL pledges to pay back US$21 million after sale of shoddy skincare items

China KOL pledges to pay back US$21 million after sale of shoddy skincare items

A beauty blogger in China has offered customers a total refund of US$21 million after a skincare product he sold online was found to be of dubious quality. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/The PaperPeople & CultureChina PersonalitiesChina KOL with 20 million fans pledges US$21 million refund over shoddy skincare items

• Beauty blogger apologises over ingredient claims on olive essence made by Chinese cosmetics company linked to his account

A popular beauty blogger in China has offered to refund consumers a total of 150 million yuan (US$21 million) after doubts were cast over a skincare product sold from his online shop.

Luo Wangyu said he would give the money to people who bought the Cosmetics Skin Solutions (CSS) brand olive essence either via his live-streaming sessions or the online shop linked with his Douyin account, reported the Shanghai Morning Post.

The CSS brand claimed its olive essence contained a high proportion of olive leaf extract.

However, a mainland blogger known as Dahu Kedaibiao, revealed it did not contain any oleuropein or hydroxytyrosol, the two main components of olive leaf extract, the report said.

Dahu Kedaibiao said the essence was examined twice at CAIQ Cosmetics Tech Centre in Beijing, a respected inspection and quarantine institute, with the same result.

After the blogger’s discovery generated considerable attention on social media, Luo said he sent a lawyer’s letter to CSS in March.

He also informed Shanghai market supervision authority about the false advertising by the company.

Chinese cosmetics manufacturer CSS was established in Shanghai in 2022, according to Tianyancha, a company information data provider.

The firm claims its olive essence has an anti-ageing effect, and it sells for more than 200 yuan (US$28) for a 30ml bottle.

In a statement issued in March, the company claimed its products were “legal and effective’, adding that it was contacting the raw material provider to investigate.

It promised to refund consumers who had bought the essence from its website in the past three months and had not opened the package.

There was no further response from CSS at the time of writing.

Other beauty KOLs who sold the product on a smaller scale than Luo had already refunded their customers.

Luo has apologised to his customers for the wait.

“Sorry for letting you wait for the past few months,” he said in a video on July 13.

“I spent a long time making this refund plan because CSS would not agree to refund, saying there was no justification and it involved a large amount of money.”

He said he considered resorting to legal action, but that would take one to two years and he understood consumers would not want to wait that long.

“Previously I said either CSS or I would refund. In the current circumstances, I will take responsibility,” said Luo.

“If one day, I cannot afford to refund, a company that I’ve been cooperating with will continue. Be assured that everyone will get their money back. I don’t want to disappoint my loyal fans,” Luo said.

The 29-year-old, who had more than 20 million followers on Douyin before the incident, now has 18.5 million fans. He said he intends to stop using social media.

“A long time ago, I found I was not so needed by others, but I did not acknowledge this reality. Now I do. So I’ve decided to leave the internet for a while,” Luo said in the video.

The refund video which was viewed 11 million times on Douyin, sparked widespread discussion on mainland social media.

“Why didn’t CSS come out to apologise and refund? Where is it? The customer service function on its website did not reply to me,” one customer said.

“I bought the essence and I used it. I don’t need your refund. I value your sincerity,” said another.