The biggest obstacle with products in China is not being able to read the labels if you are concern about the ingredients. Even if a product is in English the ingredient label is covered with a Chinese label that employees will tell you not to take off in the store. The other issue is not knowing where to buy the products you want for a few months or more. Note if you’re a health nut it’s difficult to find organic or natural (chemical free) products in China. Below I gathered a list of products that are suggestions to think about when you are packing to live in China for a year or more.
ATTENTION: THE TIPS BELOW ARE FOR WOMEN’S EYES ONLY
* Note: Keep in mind I live in a second tier city, Qingdao
(Not a mega city but not a town. My city has several Starbucks and an H&M.)
5 Tips
What to Pack If You’re Going to Be An Expat in China
Health Products:
Don’t pack: constipation pills, essential oils
Pack: medication, probiotics, vitamins (the Chinese vitamins are skeptical, you don’t know if they are actually what they say it is), Colloidal Silver, Glide floss (if you’re picky), advil, stomach medicine, sinus allergie medicine,
Beauty Products:
NOTE: This beauty product section of the post really depends on you and your health precautions. If you like natural products then pack the list below. Be aware to pack the more expensive items from your country because in China foreign products are more expensive because of the import tax.
Pack: Make-up, hair products, facial products, Shea Butter, coconut oil
Female Products:
Pack: deodorant, Midol, tampons/pads or a Diva Cup (with a natural cleaning agent), razors (they have but again expensive)
(There is a small selection for tampons in the stores because the majority of Chinese women don’t use tampons. The tampons in China are very different and don’t look very trustworthy. I was told recently that there are expensive Korean tampons here in China if you wanted them, but then again I don’t know how different those are from American tampons. )
Clothes:
Don’t pack: any shoes, scarves, hair accessories (Those items are really cheap in China.)
Pack: thongs (If you wear them, Chinese women do not wear them, and nor will the stores sell them.), socks, undergarments and bobby pins. This is a personal decision. Keep in mind while you are living in China you have two choices for buying clothes:expensive foreign clothes (because the clearance sections are non-existing) or really cheap Chinese clothes.
Entertainment:
Don’t pack: books (Use apps like Kindle and ibooks to read books overseas)
Pack: Bible, computer, devotional books (the Kindle’s version usually doesn’t exist), camera
When you settle down you can ask a new Chinese friend to help you order practically anything from Taobao, a website that is similar to Amazon but Chinese. (Note, when using Taobao use it on a Chrome search engine because it will translate the Mandarin to English.)
If there is something you think I missed (because all of us women are different and have different needs) then please leave your recommendation in the comment box at this end of this post. I would love your input.
10,000 Smiles
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