Kojic Acid

This is a relatively new product in the market allegedly containing Kojic Acid. Kojic acid for the purpose of cosmetics as many are aware is actually banned in a few countries including Switzerland, Korea and Japan for its possible mutagenicity effects possibly linked to cancer and other health hazards.


What is available in this preparation is none other than glutathione and vitamin C. So this is yet another repacked products made to look as if it is a new novel product.


The bar code below shows that it is not a real bar code. The number portrayed as the bar code shows it is the wrong sets of numbers for a product said to be made in Japan. This number is only used as voucher codes. It is not a real bar code. A real product made in Japan would bear a different set of numbers. You may refer to our previous article on bar codes. However the packaging we must say is rather impressive, together with the logo of Kyowa Hakko, the purported company that makes it.


This product does not contain Kojic Acid. It is just a name. And it is not made in Japan. The error in the bar code reveals it all:

Product:   Kojic Acid                                           
Bar Code:  9987164432453332     
Origin: Voucher Codes
Significance: This bar code is a false bar code                                                                                                          

Insert on the inside of the box

Supposed Certificate of Authenticity

Below is a newspaper clip from a Chinese daily that reported the fake nature of Kojic Acid.

The Beauty of Bar Codes - Possible Meddling of Products

All original products used for injections and for oral consumption and for topical use, should portray their bar codes clearly. If they are not present, they are not original. No two different products will bear identical numbers.

In this piece, we will summarize the popular brands. They have not all been exhausted because we only include the information on products we can get hold of ourselves. If you may care to submit photos of bar codes on other products, we welcome your contributions and will add them to the list. We are sure the packagers will scramble to have the boxes changed to incorporate new bar code numbers, but we have these already recorded here. Therefore, any future changes will render them useless because their ploy has been exposed and what is revealed here can be kept for posterity.


Codes for verification can be found below:
EAN Codes
Italian Pharmacodes
German Pharmaceuticals


Readers may verify themselves that what is written below is accurate by doing the necessary checks themselves. Readers may also find this information disturbing :

Product	Claimed Origin	Bar Code	Country of Origin	Original or Fake
Laroscorbine Platinium Vit C+ Collagen	France	3421357	France	Identical product as Laroscorbine, therefore this number is a Fake Number
Sentien Cell	UK	5130482 991882773	Does Not Exist Voucher codes	Fake Number
Vitacicol Forte P3000	USA	9761187610318	Does Not Exist	Fake Number
Cell Roma	Italy	No Number	Does Not Exist	No Number
Oxydermal	Germany	No Number	Does Not Exist	No Number
Prolene	Germany	No Number	Does Not Exist	No Number
Kojic Acid	Japan	9987164432453332	Voucher Codes	Fake Number
Tationil Bayer	Italy	No Number	Does Not Exist	Fake Number
Vitacicol (Green Box)	USA	8993156006120	Indonesia	Fake Number
Biome		5997001311783	Hungary	Fake Number
NC24	Japan	2987174436423	Internal use	Fake Number
Lucchini	Switzerland	No Number	Does Not Exist	No Number
MF3 HP 230mg	Switzerland	8360926794301	Italy	Fake Number
MF3 Advance Formula	Switzerland	5232918799527	Does Not Exist	Fake Number (number does not exist but this product is registered in Malaysia)

Product	Claimed Origin	Bar Code	Country of Origin	Original or Fake
Tathion 500	South Korea	8806425034543	South Korea	Original
Vit C Bayer (Laroscorbine)	France	3421357	France	Original
Gerovital	Romania	594470705002141	Romania	Original
Lipostabil	Germany	PZN 3352900	German Pharmaceuticals	Original
Wiedemann Homookomplex	Germany	PZN 0507265	German Pharmaceuticals	Original
Wiedemann Vit B12	Germany	PZN 2260834	German Pharmaceuticals	Original
Melsmon (White box)	Japan	4987546000014	Japan	Original
Tationil Teofarma	Italy	A 026185049	Italian Pharma	Original
Mita C	Japan	4987154434423	Japan	Original

New Evidence on Fake Products

Today we discover new evidence concerning the originality of products.


We will try to post this information by later today.


It will be damning. We are sure when this new information is made available, and has trickled down into the knowledge of many, packagers of these fake items will scramble to have them changed. 


So stay tuned while we complete the write up. 


There is also new evidence on a relatively high end product, which also shows that it is not what it is made out to be. We were shocked ourselves to find out about this and we shudder to think that these people have the audacity to trick the masses into believing in their claims. When we discovered this information, we were speechless and taken aback. That was about a week ago before we gathered more information concerning the company in question. We were so shocked to act immediately. Thus the information gathering activity was conducted so that we will not make any mistake when we publish the evidence.


We also heard news that we have stirred some feathers on the ranks of suppliers. These people are not happy with what we have revealed. However, for the sake of the truth, we have no other choice. We are not answerable to them, but we are answerable to a higher authority. So in effect, we are left with no choice. 

We apologize if we hurt anyone with this expose. We had no intention to do that. But truly, for the sake of the truth, and that we hold the philosophy that the users/patients should know the whole truth, we are less concerned about how this information might negatively affect businesses (ourselves included).

This information that we are revealing is not something new. A few suppliers know them, but choose to keep to themselves. We know a few who passed on this information to doctors, but the doctors chose to keep silent and not pass this information to their patients. Only a minority do.

When we first discovered about all this, we were devastated to say the least. But having come to terms with the reality, we knew we had to pass this information to you. 


The evidence is laid out. Some will obviously choose to ignore all this, or try to sabotage or deny this report. But all of these reports and the information contain therein is readily available in the public domain and can be verified by almost anyone, in regard to their veracity. 
 

New Updates

We have updated our write up on Gerovital. Please read through the product description.

Beauty Injectables in Malaysia-What is Fake and What is Original- Their Origins

Beauty injections readily available in Malaysia have made the users susceptible by misleading them into purchasing products which are repacked & relabelled as something in which they are not.


This industry was started about 5-8 years ago when at the time original products were brought in from overseas. At the beginning the suppliers were happy. But increasingly, due to competition from increasing number of suppliers, the prices of the products dropped to a worrying level after a while. 

They realised that having the same items that other suppliers had would cut into their profit because customers had a choice. Thus some creative suppliers have taken the route of importing the same products, removing the labels and applying new labels making bold claims purportedly having better ingredients eg vitamin C + collagen instead of just the vitamin C content. Thus, individuals who thought that these products were better (because they contained collagen) would obviously switch to the supposedly 'better' & more expensive ones. And the supplier who created this had now created a new market of the same item but by a different name, and in a single swipe, had succeeded in protecting its business interests.

Some, being more creative and wanting to increase their profits even more, imported lesser quality products from China, Vietnam, cambodia, India & Taiwan since they were far cheaper alternatives compared to European originals, and removed these items from the original packaging and applied new labels/boxes/holograms created wholly in Malaysia to make them look original (holograms can easily be created by specialised printing facilities in Malaysia). 

A few, still not content with this resorted to labelling them as a new product and sometimes 'borrowed' well known brand names (eg Laroscorbine Platinium Roche, NC24 or Tationil Bayer) or with totally new brands which had not existed prior to that & purportedly infused with novel ingredients, so they will not have any competition.  So such products have historically come into existence in this manner described above. Some novel ingredients said to exist in these injectables are tranexamic acid, kojic acid and alpha lipoic acid (present in a product called Biome).

Little do they know that such ingredients CANNOT be injected into the vein directly. Tranexamic acid for instance cannot be injected into a vein because it will promote blood clot (usually only prescribed to those with uncontrolled bleeding eg heavy menses) which may lead to whats termed hypercoagulability disorders which may in turn result in DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) or even potentially fatal lung complication PE (Pulmonay Embolism), Kojic acid will cause convulsion if done the same way and it has a propensity to cause embryo, liver and kidney toxicity and the possibility of mutagenicity (which will lead to cancer) and is currently being banned as a cosmetic ingredient in Japan, Korea and Switzerland, Alpha lipoic acid if injected into the bloodstream will aggravate heart problems because it raises the homocystein levels. 

What is actually present in these products are usually none other than glutathione & vitamin C. Some will utilise Gerovital H3 which is relabelled as something else such as Sentien Cell for example. (PS: Kojic acid and tranexamic acid does have anti-pigmentation effects if applied topically through the skin, but they are not to be injected into the vein which can cause deleterious effects). Any beneficial effects claimed to be of benefit derived from such repacked/relabelled products can be wholly attributed to what's called a placebo effect.



It has to be said that this trend, of relabelling dubios products to make them look legitimate is not a problem exclusive to Malaysia. This trend even started much earlier on in Indonesia (Malaysia lagged behind Indonesia in this matter) and they produced similar products with different brands such as Oxydermal, MJ range of whitening injections such as MJ gold, MJ Platinium & MJ Titanium, Rodotex, Miracle Rose, various Heel (non-original products) as well as others. There are also companies in Taiwan doing the same such as so called Strong Laennac which was present in the market some time ago as well as Lipostabil 303 Forte.


Meanwhile, the lay person who has no medical background does not know any better. And because of this, they are being taken advantage of. (No one has the time to send the products to a lab to have the contents of these injectables checked and furthermore Malaysians are very trusting of silver-tongued sales people who sometimes genuinely do not know that the products they carry in their inventory are not even original!).


In the current market there are also products claiming to be of sheep placenta in origin but in actual fact they contain swine/porcine placenta.  Swine is an alternative word for porcine or pig or hog. Placenta compositum from Heel for example is a mixture of various placentas including swine/porcine placenta. There are also sheep placentas which are being marketed as fish placenta. The reason for not including this vital information is obvious.


There are various other issues in which we will write at another time specific to various products that may have surfaced recently ( such as Biome, Biome + DNA, Biocell, NC24, Cell Roma, Tranexamic Acid, Cell Revi, Oxydermal, Rodotex etc) so that users understand what they are getting themselves into & what the risks are of using such products. We shall also write regarding collagen fillers at a later date.

Aesthetic Products & Off Label Use

Many of the injectable products used for aesthetic effects are unregistered in Malaysia.


This is because the great number of these are not originally prescribed for aesthetic use in the first place. Only through experimentation & novel applications at some clinics in some parts of the world did we discover that these products do have these 'side' uses. These 'side' uses are termed 'off label' because they are not labelled as their indicated use. These 'off label' applications became popular amongst the pioneer users & practitioners. Only much later did the world discover these novel applications & uses.


For example, Lipostabil being registered in Germany is indicated for the treatment of high cholesterol and to prevent fat embolism. It is not intended for fat melting purposes. In the case of Lipostabil, the fat melting effect (also termed 'lipo-dissolve') that may be achieved by Lipostabil has not gone through the whole clinical trials of safety and efficacy other than for its original intended precription. And as such the lack of studies on its efficacy & safety profiling, they are not registrable for other uses.


The same goes with vitamin C injections. These are actually indicated for use in the cases of scurvy or deficiency of vitamin C. However the world discovered that the administration of vitamin C does have an effect on suppressing melanin formation thus resulting in lighter skin tones. Although no formal clinical trials for this effect was ever conducted, the experience of users and its spread through word of mouth eventually gain acceptance to a great number of people. Although some doctors remain skeptical, as they should be because doctors are trained not to accept something which remains outside what is thought to be scientific. Without such clinical trials involving careful monitoring, measuring, documenting and statistically analysing the results whilst removing the placebos and biases, these uses cannot be included in what is accepted to be scientific, and as such, doctors will remain skeptical as they should.

Sentien Cell

This product is not a real product.


The description on the front & back of the box is laden with grammatical errors & poor use of English.


The company HB Health does exist but it does not produce this product.  The real address of HB Health is:

HB Health of Knightsbridge
12 Beauchamp Place
London SW3 1NQ
Tel: +44 (0)20 7838 0765
Fax: +44 (0)20 7838 0766
Email us: info@hbhealth.com
http://www.hbhealth.com/contact.html 

And the address on the box of Sentien Cell is actually occupied by L'Occitane with a slight change in the telephone number given:
 

address:

L'Occitane
15-19 Cavendish Place
London
W1G 0QE

telephone:

020 79070300

Compare the telephone number of L'Occitane and the company above. And if you wish to verify further you may call the number and see for yourself what you get. Or alternatively you may call HB Health itself or send an email to them.


The true content of Sentien Cell is Gerovital H3. Thus the mentioning of procaine as one of the constituent ingredients of Sentien Cell. In other words, the content is Gerovital H3 but repacked into a completely different product.

Placebo Effects - Why Some Users Claim to Experience Better Results with Repacked/Relabelled Products

Placebo effects do play a role as well in individuals testifying that a certain product is more effective or quicker in response when compared to another (when the exact same ingredient are in the ampoules but labelled as something better). 

That is why some users adamantly admit that the 'vitamin C+ collagen' is better than the vitamin C alone (although the are the same). When someone believes in something, the person may actually experience real change. This has always been known in medicine and is a normal physiological response that is tied up to human psychology and belief. 

Another reason is because human evaluation is usually subjective without any proper scientific quantification method. The same effect can be desribed by two different individuals as direct opposites in extreme cases. And if one person is treated by two different ampoules bearing different labels in which the effects is expected to be identical (using two ampoules of the same item but relabelled to make them look different), the same person may claim to obtain better results with one compared to the other.

That is why in a proper clinical trial, the responses are quantified and measured to determine its statistical significance and to determine if those responses came from the placebo effects of individual's belief or from the drug (medicine) itself. (In lay man's words, if someone gives you a glass of water and says that it is from a miraculous source able to heal any disease, and you truly believe in that person, you might just wake up the next morning feeling never felt better!) This is the reason why some still insist that the vitamin C+ collagen is better although they are identical.

Revicain

Procaine preparation with B group vitamins for regeneration.

Packs of 10 ampoules of 2.0 mL each.


Composition:
One 2.0-mL ampoule contains:
procaine hydrochloride 50 mg,
vitamin B1 10 mg,
vitamin B2 3 mg,
vitamin B6 5mg
natrium Chloride and aqua ad 2mL.


Indications:
Ailments of old age, reduced life activity and energy, cerebral and peripheral circulatory disorder, arteriosclerosis, protective therapy of the liver.


Contraindications:
Acute decompensated cardiac insufficiency, severe bradycardia, arrhythmia.


Side-effects:
In rare cases, allergic reactions that subside mostly after the dosage is reduced.


Interactions with drugs:
Do not apply Revicain ampoules while the patient is being treated with sulfonamides.


Dosage and method of administration:
The recommended standard dose is 8-12 intramuscular injections of one 2.0 mL ampoule, 2-3 days apart.


Properties:
Revicain is a combination of procaine and a specific high dose of vitamins. These two groups of substances, a well-matched composition, supplement each other.


Geriatric symptoms, degenerative changes and sclerotic changes to the blood vessels can thus be treated with a high therapeutic effectiveness of this agent, as well as circulatory insufficiency and loss of vitality. In consequence lipids and cholesterol are being reduced.


Cell activity, alveor oxygen uptake and utilisation of oxygen in the tissue and organs are im-proved.


Procaine improves the blood flow in sclerotic vessels and lowers the danger of development of oedema.


Reduced life activity, tiredness and reduced memory are particular indications.


The B group vitamins, prevent and improve vitamin deficiency, they improve food utilisation and compensate one-sided nutrition. The lipotropic property of the product activates the liver activity, especially when semi-luxury items have been consumed.


Special advice:
The treatment with Revicain can easily be combined with further biological injections, e.g. the Wiedemann-Homöokomplex therapy.

Offer for Human Placenta

We received a phone call end of last week from a supplier of human placenta (produced in a third world country) asking us if we wanted to purchase & repack the product for export purposes.


The supplier (name & contacts witheld) has been supplying this human placenta & also vitamin C from Cambodia & Vietnam to various packagers in Kuala Lumpur and they have been using these products to be marketed as Swiss, European or Japanese made products.

Placenta Compositum Heel

Placenta Compositum is made by Heel GmBH, a homeopathic establishment in Germany. Placenta compositum means placenta made of various compositions or composites ie.. something which is made of various different parts (thus compositum), and not entirely of one main ingredient. In actual fact, Placenta Compositum is made of various components such as placenta suis, embryo suis, vena suis, arteria suis, hypophysis suis and various others.

This product is quite popular with a lot of individuals because it is said to be rather effective and usually used by direct injection under the surface of the skin of the face. It is said to produce quick results, especially in producing face lifting effects.


It should be noted here that this product is actually original. However for Muslims , this product should be avoided at all costs because it contains swine placenta.

Although you would not see it written on the box as porcine placenta (ie pig placenta), in actual fact it does. The actual word used on the box is placenta suis. Placenta suis if translated into English would be Porcine Placenta. Please see insert below on a similar product produced by Heel in which the full translation of the meaning of placenta suis is made apparent :

Thus the contents which include placenta suis, embryo suis, vena suis, arteria suis, hypophysis suis are actually made from extracts containing porcine placenta, porcine embryoes, porcine veins, porcine arteries and porcine hypophseal region ( a part that houses the pituitary gland which is involved in the production of various hormones such as Growth Hormone (GH), Luteinising Hormone (LH), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and a few others).