Counterfeit Cosmetics: How to Protect Yourself
There has been an uptick in the sale of counterfeit products, including counterfeit cosmetics, on online and e-commerce platforms. The result: unsuspecting consumers purchase phony products, which may result in disappointment; however, the purchase and use of counterfeit cosmetics could lead to devastating results such as allergic reactions, skin irritation, chemical burns, eye infections and more severe health issues.
Our member companies invest substantial resources to ensure the safety and quality of their products and to meet federal and state safety and quality requirements. Fake cosmetics are produced illegally and without adherence to the safety and quality requirements. They may also be manufactured in unsanitary conditions.
Reports from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) show that phony beauty products can contain known carcinogens, including arsenic, beryllium and cadmium, along with high levels of aluminum, mercury and dangerous levels of bacteria.
Reduce your risk of purchasing counterfeit beauty products when shopping online:
- Buy from a reputable seller. Purchase directly from a brand’s website or an authorized online retailer. Carefully research third-party sellers from online marketplaces.
- Read the customer reviews. Check for inconsistencies in product reviews from third-party vendors. A great deal is often too good to be real.
- Inspect the packaging. Fake products can be indistinguishable from the actual product so it’s important to look for any red flags such as misspellings, differences in design, wrong serial numbers and use-by dates.
- Spot test the product. Test a small amount of the product on your skin to check for any allergic reactions or irritation.
If you get duped despite your best efforts to protect yourself from counterfeit cosmetics, contact the vendor or online platform and request a refund. If you’ve used a credit card for the purchase, contact your credit card company to investigate the purchase and leverage their purchase protection policy, if applicable. You can also report counterfeits at STOPfakes.gov.