Anti-counterfeit labels lay the foundations for cosmetics confidence

Nothing knocks consumer confidence in a cosmetic brand more than when a product does not do what it says on the tin, or to be more precise, the product is counterfeit. From perfumes and make-up through to personal care products like toothpastes, soaps and sunscreens, no product is immune to attack from unscrupulous counterfeiters.

Denny Bros, a leading printed label specialist, is linking up with the cosmetics industry to strengthen the sector’s defences against counterfeiting. By adding anti-counterfeit labelling solutions to its popular multi-page labelling, known as Fix-a-Form, it can protect the profits and brand integrity of genuine cosmetic manufacturers. This also makes sure that vital ingredients’ lists, usage details, contact details and ‘use-by’ dates are neatly attached to the container or packaging.

Although they may resemble the genuine article, counterfeit cosmetics rarely provide the expected level of quality, efficacy or enjoyment. Moreover, a product’s safety may well be compromised as legal regulations will not have been followed. This fact turns what should be a pleasurable purchase into a potentially risky one, especially for those with sensitive skin, and exposes manufacturers to adverse publicity, even litigation.

Denny Bros is a key supplier of anti-counterfeit and anti-tamper labelling solutions that can be applied to a product directly or to its outer packaging. Its options for cosmetics’ labelling can include: deliberately incorporated print imperfections, the use of microtext (only legible through a magnifying glass), complex holograms and 2D matrix codes.

In addition to these, the company offers a wide choice of specialist inks that can be applied to its labels. For example, these inks react to light or heat to make print features appear or disappear, or are reactive to a coin being rubbed over the surface in order to reveal key information.

Senior marketing executive at Denny Bros, Stephie Castling, commented: “Manufacturers looking to find better protection for high-value items should consider using labels containing RFID tags. These labels make the tracking and tracing of products easier and the addition of acoustic tags and magnetic security strips can also be a useful tactic to deter shoplifting. Our comprehensive range of overt and covert labelling solutions give cosmetics’ manufacturers a real opportunity to raise their game against the fraudsters.”

Cosmetic products come in all shapes and sizes and often pose a packaging and labelling challenge of marrying together obligatory regulatory information with practical, yet eye-catching, packaging. Multi-page labels, designed specifically to meet the challenges of small or non-standard labelling requirements, offer the advantage of being a concertina-style pull-out information pack which can be tailored exactly to meet the manufacturer’s requirements.

There is no losing with these labels – they are securely attached to either the product itself or its outer packaging. Not only do they allow a company to include up to 120 pages of product information, but also add to the aesthetics of the packaging by making it less cluttered.

All genuine cosmetics’ producers in the EU would benefit from being able to protect their market from counterfeiting. Denny Bros believes its Fix-a-Form labels combined with a wide range of anti-counterfeiting labelling solutions offer the perfect foundation for manufacturers to protect their profits and brand integrity whilst ensuring maximum peace of mind for consumers.