Lead and mercury in fake make-up seized by GMP

Mercury, lead and methanol have been found in counterfeit beauty products seized by trading standards officers.

Police found 1,660 fake hair extensions, shampoo and conditioners during a raid at a warehouse in Manchester in July.

Trading standard officers also seized fake perfume, cosmetics, clothing and vapes worth £2m at a warehouse production base in Bolton.

Cosmetics, skincare and perfumes are now among trading standards’ 10 most commonly investigated fakes, with four in 10 seized cosmetics containing potentially harmful substances.

The raids were carried out by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

Tests found 13,200 parts per million of mercury in one skincare product, high levels of lead in lipstick, eyeshadow and contour products, nicotine in perfume and a counterfeit fragrance made up of around 80% methanol.

A fifth of 18 to 24-year-olds who bought beauty products last year knowingly purchased fakes, up from 6% in 2023, according to the latest Intellectual Property Office (IPO) counterfeit goods tracker.

The IPO’s Face the Fakes campaign is working with influencers and the beauty industry to raise awareness of the potential harms of counterfeit beauty products.

Independent toxicologist Rani Ghosh said: “When you hear that mercury has been found in face cream, lead in make-up or nicotine in perfume, it raises serious questions about what is going into these products and how they are being made.

“Some reactions to unsafe cosmetics may be visible, such as irritation, swelling or changes to the skin.

“But what concerns me as a toxicologist is what you might not see.

“Substances such as mercury and lead can affect the body internally, and those effects may not be immediately obvious.”