It looks like even social media influencers should be a little more careful with what they post and promote online. That’s because any wrong move could do serious damage to their image that they have worked so hard to create.
Just like our favourite model/actress/entrepreneur, Noor Neelofa Binti Mohd Noor a.k.a Neelofa, who received a surge of backlash from netizens recently when she decided to promote an anti-wrinkle supplement for infants and children below the age 12, as reported by Coconuts.
The Forbes “30 under 30” Asian entrepreneur promoted the supplement on her Instagram Stories.
Source: Twitter
In the video, Neelofa was promoting a supplement named Chew and Glow. FYI, Chew and Glow is a supplement that whitens the skin and reverses the ageing process.
Hmm… not sure how babies can benefit from anti-ageing supplements though; they’re already the epitome of youth!
Neelofa also proceeded to advise on the supplement intake for different ages. Now, if you’re wondering how a baby is going to be able to consume it, Neelofa suggested that it can be crushed and mixed into their milk.
Source: Meme Generator
Obviously, with a post like that, the internet will inevitably react to it. Thus, Neelofa wasn’t safe from the surge of backlash she received upon posting about the product on her IG stories.
Source: Coconuts
Source: Coconuts
Source: Coconuts
One Twitter user never thought that Neelofa, of all the many Malaysian influencers, would turn to become a public health threat. The person also hopes that she would quickly realise her mistake and apologise immediately.
Source: Coconuts
Neelofa’s controversial endorsement had also received a response from our very own Asia’s Next Top Model Season 5 contestant, Alicia Amin. She confessed that although she looked up to Neelofa as an inspirational entrepreneur, this act is considered unethical. Not wrong, tbh.
“…Just because you CAN sell something, that doesn’t mean you SHOULD,” she wrote.
Source: Coconuts
Besides the backlash from netizens, Neelofa also received some advice from medical officers via Twitter too.
One doctor expressed her amazement of Neelofa’s willingness to use her name (and reputation) to promote this supplement. She assumed that maybe Neelofa was ill-advised. Well, that is plausible.
Source: Coconuts
Another doctor also said that products like this could cause unnecessary harm to the babies’ internal organs. Yikes!
Source: Coconuts
Finally, another doctor suggested that it is sufficient for babies to only drink breast milk. Thus, to produce nutritious breast milk, mothers would have to eat healthy foods. He concluded saying that there’s no need for the supplement. Breast milk is all a baby needs to grow healthy, guys.
Source: Beautiful Nara
Since the matter received a lot of response on the internet, Neelofa has since taken to Twitter to publish her response regarding the matter.
Source: Twitter
At the time of writing, there were no other responses reported from Neelofa after her statement on Twitter thus far.
The responses she received was quite understandable given Neelofa’s reputation and influence. Well, let’s give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that perhaps she had been misinformed. In the meantime, let’s wait for an official statement from Neelofa or C&G on the case.
Also read: MyCafe Releases Statement Addressing The Durian White Coffee Case, Here’s What Happened
