A few supposedly well-known influencers were involved in an online scuffle recently over the sale of some beauty products alleged to be part of a multi-level marketing scheme:

The products, which include shampoo, hair oil, facial masks, and collagen jelly, are from the "Wowo" brand — a name hitherto unheard of in Singapore.

Leading influencer Xiaxue then spoke out against some other influencers who were selling and distributing the products.

Although she eventually conceded that it is not technically MLM, the ethics and tiered-pricing system functions pretty much like it is.

The pink-haired influencer also said she'll leave the audience to their own conclusions.

Wowo founder unhappy with influencer saga

One might think that all the publicity is a good thing, as it could, after all, increase sales. But the Singapore founder of Wowo appears to be rather displeased.

In a Facebook update that addressed the saga, the Wowo founder wrote a lengthy commentary about the company's ethics and operations -- one that is careful to disassociate the brand from the influencers:

Most distributors are stay home/ working mummies

The writer of the post identified herself as the "executive director and shareholder of Wowo HQ".

In essence, she stressed that most of her distributors are stay-at-home-mums (SAHMs) or full-time-working-mums (FTWMs), who are using "their sweat and effort to earn extra income for their families" when they sell the products.

As such, she does not wish for the brand to be affiliated with the "bo liao" (i.e. nothing better to do) influencers, because she does not want to put the mummies through any saga:

"Please do not affiliate WOWOSG with other teams, who tag along with the rave or just sell with fancy network".

And in another paragraph, directed at those who have left "biased reviews" based on the ingredients, the Wowo founder wrote:

Kindly do not affiliate WOWOSG with you, we are just NORMAL PEOPLE.

This was in response to the influencers, as she believes that they do not need sell Wowo products to survive.

The Singapore founder also brought up the argument that everyone knows that the distributors are making a profit, but they are fine with it as the products have really helped them.

Cosmetic products do not require HSA's approval?

The Wowo founder then reassured readers about the products' ingredients and its legality in Singapore:

We are locally registered Company in Singapore and have also registered our notification for selling with HSA (all required products). Furthermore, we always have correspondences with HSA to make sure all our products meet the requirements to be legally sold in Singapore.

According to the Health Science Authority (HSA) website, it is stated that cosmetic products do not need HSA approval before being sold:

Here's an important excerpt:

As they are considered to be generally of lower risk than other health products, cosmetic products do not require HSA's approval before they are placed on the market. They are also not assessed or approved by HSA for their effectiveness before being sold. Companies who manufacture, import and sell cosmetic products are directly responsible for the safety of their products.

Cosmetic products include shampoos and any creams that we apply to our skin.

However, in subsequent paragraphs, HSA also stated that it requires all cosmetic firms to inform the authority of the products they intend to sell, before making them available for sale:

This does not mean that the products are approved for use by HSA, but that the authority can take quicker action should there be any problems that arise from using these products.

Therefore, registration only expedites any action that HSA may take.

In case you can't see the Facebook post, here they are in full:

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