Why Cheap Shilajit Is Usually Fake - why cheap shilajit is usually fake
Namaste dai-bahini, I am from Namche Bazaar and now I bring shilajit to Australia by small hands and honest work. I speak plain: cheap shilajit often hides tricks. I will tell you what I saw on the mountains and what buyers find in the city, so you do not waste money or health.
Why the market has cheap fake shilajit
Shilajit is a heavy, sticky resin from high rocks. Real collection is hard and slow - people climb, sift, clean and purify little by little. When someone sells very low price, they cut corners: low-quality humic powders, coal tar, industrial waste, even added sugars. Cheap product can be fake or so diluted it is worthless.
From my village view there are a few simple truths:
- True resin comes from high alpine sites and costs labour - low price rarely covers that.
- Processing matters - honest cold purification keeps fulvic compounds, bad processing destroys them.
- Packaging and testing cost money - if price is too low, those steps are skipped.
How to spot fake cheap shilajit
I teach simple checks that any person can do at home or with small care when buying online:
- Look at texture - real resin is glossy, tacky and becomes soft with warm fingers. Powder or hard brittle black lumps are suspect.
- Smell - real resin smells earthy, a little like wet soil from mountain herbs. Strong chemical or petrol smell is a red flag.
- Solubility - a small pea in warm water should partially dissolve and tint the water brown-gold. If it floats as powder or leaves a greasy film, it may be filler.
- Price check - compare to market range for small-batch Himalayan resin. Extremely low price needs explanation.
When I started importing, customers asked me gently: "Dai, why this one cheap?" I replied honestly and showed lab reports, photos from the mountain and my hands that packed the tins. That trust is why I made a home on the web - it is a quiet shop but open heart - shilnepal.com.
Also remember, some sellers mix cheaper shilajit powder or premade extracts into a jar and call it resin to sell fast. If you want a tested tin, try my small batch offering for comparison - it is the exact resin I bring from Nepal to Australia: my Nepalese Shilajit resin 30g tin.
Practical steps to avoid fake shilajit
Follow these steps before you buy, dai-bahini. Keep them simple:
- Ask for origin and photos from the harvest site.
- Request a lab report for heavy metals and fulvic acid content.
- Avoid products with many exotic added herbs if you want pure resin.
- Buy small first and test with the water solubility and smell checks.
These are not fancy rules. They are the same care we used on the mountain when we carried resin home.
FAQ
Q: How can I tell?
A: Look for texture, smell and solubility - cheap fakes often are powdery, smell chemical and do not dissolve like real resin.
Q: Will lab tests help show fakes?
A: Yes, tests for fulvic acid and heavy metals show quality. Fake cheap products often fail or have diluted active markers.
Q: Can a cheap tin be real or is always fake?
A: Sometimes sellers run specials, but very low price without explanation is risky. Ask about origin and testing to be sure.
Q: What should I do if I suspect fake shilajit in my jar?
A: Stop taking it and contact the seller for return and reports. If unsure, compare with a trusted sample or buy a tested small tin to learn differences.
Related Reading
I speak plain because I have seen both sides - the mountain and the market. If you want one honest tin to compare, my product link above is the exact thing I carry from Nepal. Take care, and ask questions when you buy - the cheap price is often the first clue.
