FACT CHECK: Rejuvenating serum ad uses manipulated videos of celebrities

Claim: Television host Amy Perez and medical content creator Dr. Alvin Francisco, popularly known as Doc Alvin, are promoting a rejuvenating serum.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook page “Doc Alvin – Health Skin Care” is posing as a page owned by Francisco. Its bio claims he is a “Consultant and Board Certified Specialist,” identical to the note found on Francisco’s authentic Facebook account. 

The page advertises a product called “Venature’s Bakuchiol Retinol Serum” by putting together side-by-side videos of Perez and Francisco. The video has 2,100 reactions, 271 comments, 95 shares, and 436,000 views as of writing.

The facts: Perez’s and Francisco’s supposed endorsements are fake. The videos were manipulated to make it seem that they were holding and promoting the serum.

The clips featuring Perez were sourced from her TikTok account. One of the clips supposedly showed her applying the rejuvenating serum on her face, but in reality, she was using a different skincare product in her original post. 

Similarly, the clip of Francisco seen in the ad was taken from his TikTok account, where he was also using a different product. 

No endorsement: Both Perez and Francisco recently clarified on their official social media channels that they do not endorse products advertised by fake accounts, including the serum featured in the video.

In an Instagram post on June 23, Perez shared screenshots of fake endorsements circulating online. “I don’t use or endorse this product,” she said in the post. 

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On the same day, Francisco went live on his Facebook page cautioning his followers against fake accounts using his name and image. The medical content creator made the warning after learning that some of his patients experienced medical complications from products they purchased online, mistakenly believing he endorsed the products.

Francisco clarified that he is neither affiliated with nor promoting any products sold by these pages. 

Unregistered: The Venature Bakuchiol Retinol serum is not registered in the Food and Drug Administration database.

Rappler has previously exposed fraudulent product endorsements involving celebrities and influencers:

• FACT CHECK: Fake ad for ‘hypertension cure’ uses photos of influencer Doc Alvin
• FACT CHECK: Fake CNN interview of influencer Doc Alvin used in ‘joint pain cure’ ad
• FACT CHECK: Manipulated videos of celebrities, online personalities used in weight loss ad

– Jerry Yubal Jr./Rappler.com 

Jerry Yubal Jr. is a graduate of Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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