Colored lenses are easy to counterfeit and hard to verify by eye. A fake can carry the right brand name, the right box art and the wrong pigment — and pigment sitting on the surface of a lens instead of sealed inside it is what scratches a cornea.
Check the packaging first
- Batch number and expiry must be printed on the blister itself, not just the outer box, and they must match. A sticker over a printed date is a bad sign.
- The blister foil should be sealed flat and unbroken. Any lifting at the edge means it has been opened or badly stored.
- Look for a manufacturer address and a certification mark — CE, FDA or an equivalent. A brand name with no manufacturer behind it is not a brand.
Check the lens
Take it out and hold it against a white surface. On a genuine lens the colour is sealed between layers, so the pattern looks slightly soft and slightly below the surface. On many fakes the pigment is printed on top — the pattern looks sharp, almost glossy, and you can sometimes feel a texture difference when you run it between your fingers.
The edge should be smooth and thin the whole way round. A visible ridge or a slightly ragged rim means poor moulding.
Check the seller
This is the part most people skip and it is the part that matters most.
- Does the listing publish base curve, diameter, water content and material? Almost no counterfeit seller does, because they do not know.
- Is there a real returns policy with a real address?
- Does the price make sense? A lens that costs a supplier 200 EGP cannot retail at 90 and be genuine.
What we do
Every Ay Contact product page publishes the full specification — base curve, diameter, water content, material, replacement schedule and wear time. Batch and expiry are printed large on the back of the box rather than hidden in the fine print.
Not because it is impressive, but because it is checkable. A brand that will not tell you what is in the lens is asking you to take its word for it, and in this category that is not good enough.
