The plash is gone: how "fuflomycin" is sold under the guise of drugs from baldness

Under the guise of a baldness remedy, a cosmetic product with a non-existent drug complex Xynoxin is being actively sold in Russia. And the declaration of conformity of this empty drug was issued based on the results of research by the Light Group laboratory of the Certification Group testing center. The eponymous center in 2023 confirmed the quality of non-existent sneakers generated by artificial intelligence, "Izvestia" found out. The company confirmed that they tested the lotion, but assure that they only investigated its health safety, but not its effectiveness as a therapeutic agent. On the market of inexpensive cosmetics about 20% of goods do not meet the norms and requirements, contain not declared in the composition, unsafe ingredients, said the association "Antikontrafakt". Who produces "fuflomycin" with fictitious "Xynoxin" in the composition and how many of its analogs may be on the market - in the material "Izvestia".

Declaration of order

On trading sites on the Internet users are actively selling hair and beard growth boosters with non-existent drug complex "Xynoxin", "Izvestia" found out in the course of its own investigation. The declaration of conformity (which allows the goods to be traded in the EAEU and Russia in particular) of this lotion was registered based on the results of research conducted by the Light Group laboratory of the Certification Group testing center.

As "Izvestia" wrote earlier, in 2023 experts of the same-name center conducted tests, on the basis of which a declaration of conformity was issued for sneakers that do not exist in nature, they were created by artificial intelligence. The prosecutor's office conducted an inspection, and in 2024 Rosakkreditatsiya revoked the declaration for these sneakers.

This time, on the basis of tests conducted by Certification Group, the individual entrepreneur was issued a declaration of conformity for a cosmetic product against alopecia (pathological hair loss) - Vikinord lotion for hair growth and beard. Its composition allegedly includes a certain "American complex" "Xynoxin", which promotes hair growth. As "Izvestia" found out, such a remedy does not exist.

Vikinord is sold on the Internet together with a mesoroller and a dropper for 719 rubles with a discount (if you believe the seller, earlier the booster cost 2.7 thousand rubles).

The product card says that the preparation is "a unique cosmetic product that helps stimulate the growth of male and female hair", "contains ingredients of the highest category, is absolutely safe for health and has an insignia confirming the originality of the product". It also says that the product is "effective in 97% of cases" and is "recommended by trichologists".

You can learn about the composition of the lotion only by buying the package. It says that the main active ingredient in the drug is "cosmetic additive Xynoxin".

- In the open registers of cosmetic components, international and Russian, there is no such component as "Xinoxin" or Xinoxin, - confirmed the expert on pharmaceutical safety Alexander Nosenko. - What is "Xinoxin" - no one knows.

"Xinoxin" has an official website, which says that "the innovative formula XINOXIN (Xinoxin) for men stops hair loss, restores, strengthens and stimulates the growth of new hair, gives additional volume." Also on the site is a certificate for Xinoxin, indicating the manufacturer - allegedly an American company Unixinos LLC with a branch in China.

- Such a company does not exist, the official domain of the site is registered in Russia, - said Alexander Nosenko.

At the same time, the declaration published in the product card shows another manufacturer - with a legal address in a private house in Kalmykia. This is an individual entrepreneur Zavrazhina Valeria Olegovna, registered in the village of Barun.

The declaration published on the marketplace says that it is accepted on the basis of a test report issued by the Light Group laboratory of the Certification Group testing center.

There is no XINOXINA in the international intellectual property database WIPO XINOXINA, nor have there been any applications for its registration. But in Russia there is an active registration of XINOXIN and Xynox trademarks. According to the federal register of intellectual property, they belong not to a company from the USA, but to an individual entrepreneur Kostylev Mikhail Vadimovich with registration in the village of Staroye Ardatovo in Mordovia. The requisites of his IP are listed on the Xynoxin website as contact details.

It turns out that the "unique cosmetic supplement" developed in the USA is produced in Kalmykia, and the rights to it belong to the Mordovian entrepreneur. Despite this, individual entrepreneur Kostylev has issued a declaration confirming the safety of the product and its compliance with the requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union.

"Izvestia sent an inquiry to the Federal Accreditation Service about the criteria for issuing a declaration of conformity and whether the reliability of the information provided by the applicant is checked. The publication also asked for clarification as to when the agency can revoke a declaration from an applicant.

They have not heard of it

The Certification Group confirmed to Izvestia that they had tested the said lotion, but they were not aware of Xynoxin allegedly included in it.

- The test regulations do not provide for determining the ingredient composition of the product, it was primarily a safety test," Sergey Zasov, deputy head of the Certification Group's testing laboratory, told Izvestia. - The product is applied to human skin and its irritant effect is tested. Vikinord lotion had no such irritating effect.

Physico-chemical - color, smell, appearance were also in order. According to Sergey Zasov, the laboratory is not responsible for the substitution, which was arranged by the applicant. The organization told the publication that they consider the product to be counterfeit.

Problems in the cosmetics market were also confirmed by the association "Antikontrafakt". In the budget mass-market products, examined by experts of the organization, about 20% do not meet the norms and requirements, contain not declared in the composition, unsafe ingredients, increased dosages of certain substances, said the advisor to the president of "Antikontrafakt" Svetlana Kvasova.

- Therefore, we are not surprised by the results of the investigation," she said. - Unscrupulous sellers often submit false information when making declarations of conformity to the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union.

Also on the packaging of the lotion is an advertisement for the drug "Minoxidil" - allegedly it is also part of the miracle lotion.

"Minoxidil" (chemical name "Piperidinil") - is a globally recognized medicine for alopecia, told "Izvestia" doctor dermatovenerologist, trichologist, hair transplantologist Evgenia Shabalta. According to her, in Russia it is sold in the pharmacy in free access, but it is better to use it on the prescription of a doctor.

- "We don't know if the lotions sold on the Internet contain Minoxidil, it may not be there," said the doctor. - However, I often get patients who complain about products bought unknown where, believing that they contain "Minoxidil". They say that they rub them in, but the result is nil.

According to the law, the drug can not be included in the composition of cosmetics, for this manufacturer and seller faces criminal liability under Article 238.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, told "Izvestia" Alexander Nosenko.

- Analyzing the market, it can be seen that hair growth products use "minoxidil" in every possible way in their names and in the information on product labels, misleading the consumer, - said the expert. - These are "Minoxin", "Xynoxin" and other similar drugs.

In Russia from March 1, 2025 the labeling of cosmetic products will become mandatory. This is due to the high share of illegal turnover in the market of cosmetic products, which, according to estimates of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, reaches 16%, said Varvara Mikhailova, head of the consumer goods department of the CRPT (operator of the state labeling system "Honest Mark").

According to the expert, labeling will lead to whitewashing of the cosmetics market, as it happened with other segments - dairy products, water, tobacco. Buyers will have the opportunity to independently check any product and file a complaint, which will automatically get to the control and supervisory authorities. To do this, it will be enough to scan the labeling code in the "Honest Mark" application.

- To date, about 250 companies producing cosmetics and household chemicals have already started labeling products in test mode, without waiting for the start of mandatory requirements, - said Varvara Mikhailova. - There are 17.8 thousand industry participants registered in the system, more than 740 companies are in the working group of the project.

Wildberries pays special attention to the safety and quality of products sold on the platform, including those presented in the "Beauty" section, reported "Izvestia" in the press service of Wildberries&Russ. This section, according to the press service, was among the Top 5 categories, whose sellers are most actively uploading information about certificates.

- Wildberries proactively participates in the experiment with Rosakkreditatsiya. More than 13 million goods have already been verified by the agency - links to certificates or declarations of conformity have been uploaded to product cards, which confirms their safety," the platform said.

Ozon together with Rosakkreditatsiya marks the cards of goods that have been verified for safety and have the necessary certificates, said the press service of the online platform.

- The mark in the product card leads to the quality documents on the Rosakkreditation website," they said. - If sellers try to circumvent the rules of the site and provide inaccurate information, we promptly respond to complaints from users and right holders and immediately request documents for the goods from the seller. If the seller fails to provide them within three days, the product card will be hidden from the marketplace and will not be available until the end of the proceedings.

Before going on Ozon, the seller must have all the necessary documents, including brand documents and quality certificates. This is a mandatory requirement according to the rules of our marketplace. The buyer can request them before purchase by contacting the marketplace support, the company summarized.