Beware! Fake Perfumes and Cosmetics Packed with Poisonous Chemicals
Deadly fakes flooding the market
Fake perfumes might look the real deal, but lab tests on samples seized by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) reveal a toxic nightmare. Some contain poisonous chemicals like cyanide—and shockingly, even human urine.
It’s not just perfumes. Counterfeit cosmetics including eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss, and foundation have been found to harbour dangerous levels of arsenic, mercury, and lead. These toxic substances can cause nasty allergic reactions, such as severe skin irritation, swelling, rashes, and painful burns.
Shoppers unwittingly risking their health this Christmas
Detective Sergeant Matthew Hussey from PIPCU warned:
“The lower price of counterfeit beauty products makes them an appealing option to shoppers in the run-up to Christmas, particularly at a time when cost-of-living pressures have increased.
Those involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit goods are taking advantage of this and making huge profits in the process. These products are often untested and unregulated, showing that counterfeiters have little regard for the safety of the people who end up using them.”
Massive Manchester raid nets tonnes of fakes
On 13 December 2022, PIPCU swooped on two commercial premises in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, seizing seven tonnes of counterfeit clothing, accessories, wireless earphones—and more than 400 fake perfume bottles.
They had backup from Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Vulcan, North West Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Immigration Services, and the anti-counterfeiting agency WRi.
A nearby home was also raided, leading to one man’s arrest. He has since been released under investigation.
Stay vigilant: if a beauty deal looks too good to be true, it probably is—your health could be at serious risk.
