# UK tests uncover hazardous chemicals in fake cosmetics and fragrances

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/mercury-lead-and-methanol-found-in-counterfeit-beauty-products-seized-across-uk/
- Published: 2026-10-30T13:05:28+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T13:22:46+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026/oct/30/mercury-lead-methanol-counterfeit-beauty-products-seized-uk
- Topics: Business, UK, World

## Key points

- Counterfeit beauty products contained mercury, lead and toxic methanol.
- One fake fragrance was about 80% methanol.
- One in five young adults knowingly bought fake beauty products last year.

## Summary

UK Trading Standards has found mercury, lead, nicotine and methanol in counterfeit beauty products seized across the country. The findings matter because fake cosmetics and fragrances can expose consumers to harmful substances, while convincing packaging makes their risks difficult to spot.

Tests of 50 seized products found 13,200 parts per million of mercury in one skincare item, high lead levels in some make-up, and a counterfeit fragrance that was about 80% methanol. The IPO says one in five 18- to 24-year-olds knowingly bought counterfeit beauty products last year, compared with 6% in 2023; nearly three-quarters of counterfeit cosmetics and toiletries buyers surveyed had bought them online.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.