China 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.