Fake perfume made of 80% methanol and face cream laced with mercury are seized by Trading Standards across the UK

Four in ten counterfeit cosmetics seized by Trading Standards contain potentially harmful substances, the Intellectual Property Office warned Friday; among the contaminants detected were nicotine in fake perfume and lead in lipstick, eyeshadow and contour products. A Bolton raid on a commercial production facility turned up £2 million in counterfeit goods, while Greater Manchester Police removed 1,666 fake hair products from a Manchester warehouse in July.

Among 18-to-24-year-olds, the share knowingly purchasing fake beauty products rose sharply from 6% in 2023 to 20% last year.

Independent toxicologist Rani Ghosh warned that mercury and lead 'can affect the body internally' in ways that 'may not be immediately obvious.'

Trading Standards surveys found that close to three quarters of counterfeit cosmetics purchasers had bought the products online.