The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit rings the alarm

May 19, 2015 13:06 GMT  ·  By
Fake makeup products are dangerous and hard to spot as counterfeits, so buy instead from brick-and-mortar stores
   Fake makeup products are dangerous and hard to spot as counterfeits, so buy instead from brick-and-mortar stores

We all love a good bargain, but the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), part of the City of London Police, is ringing the alarm on the dangers of falling for a bargain when it comes to makeup products, especially “designer” items.

With the number of purchases for cosmetic products increasing online, as compared to those in brick-and-mortar stores, so has the number of fakes being passed for the real deal.

That you’re getting a cheap product for a higher price tag, while you’re thinking you got a designer item isn’t even the worst part: these fakes come with considerable health risks, from infections to rashes and burns, because they are produced in an environment lacking proper control and regulation, with dangerous ingredients.

Human urine, rats’ droppings and poisonous chemicals

You might recall the controversy of a few years back, when studies determined that there was too high a quantity of lead in lipstick, which meant a woman applying color to her lips every day was ingesting so much of it she was running serious risks.

Well, this is worse.

The PIPCU says that online sales of makeup products have gone up, removing most chances of customers being able to verify if their purchases are genuine or not. To make the “deal” even more appealing, most of the sites operating this kind of business use stock photos of the actual products, which means that the customer could only catch on to the fake when they open it or use it.

By that time, their money has been cashed and there will be no refunds.

What they get for their hard-earned money is a product that is made in unsanitary conditions, with no health or safety guidelines, a product that can contain heavy chemicals and all types of other substances, one more unexpected than the other.

“Laboratory tests have shown counterfeit perfume often contains poisonous chemicals including cyanide and even human urine,” PIPCU says. “While fake cosmetics such as eyeliner, mascara, lipgloss and foundation have been found to contain toxic levels of chemicals and harmful substances such as; arsenic, mercury and lead. All of these can cause allergic reactions, such as skin irritation, swelling, rashes and burns as well as leaving the consumer with longer term health problems.”

Other ingredients not included on the label can be rats’ droppings and poison, because most these products are made in underground locations where hygiene doesn’t rank highest - or at all, for that matter.

Wake up, don’t fake up

The lesson to be learned here is simple: never buy from a source / website you don’t know and trust. If you see an offer for a high-quality product that is simply too good to be true, it’s most likely so.

The PIPCU urges customers to buy makeup products online only from retailers that they were recommended or they’re familiar with. If that’s not possible, brick-and-mortar retailers remain the best option: at least here you can see and test the product, and this way know that it’s not a cheap counterfeit.

You don’t want to end up paying on medical bills what you thought you were saving on a designer makeup product.