Toxic beauty products could be harming your health - here's how to spot fakes

Counterfeit cosmetics are big business but can have detrimental effects for consumers, causing anything from infections to long-term skin damage

Fake beauty products can use unregulated and untested ingredients that may cause lasting skin damage. Photo: Aarti Jhurani / The National

As the beauty industry continues to grow into a multibillion-dirham business, thanks to the popularity of at-home products and in-salon treatments, so too does the proliferation of fake and counterfeit cosmetics.

And as unregulated imitations of popular skincare and make-up products increase in volume and availability, experts warn against falling for the counterfeit boom.

“The cosmetic industry is now flooded with low quality, cheap … potentially toxic products posing health risks such as damage to skin, hair and health via rashes, blistering and infections,” says Dr Khushbu Goel, dermatology and cosmetology specialist at Aster Day Surgery Centre.

Dr Aiza Jamil, consultant dermatologist at Healthpoint Abu Dhabi, explains that counterfeit products “are essentially fakes of the brands that have been created without the awareness of the original manufacturer. This means that they do not abide by the manufacturer's testing and are made with low-quality ingredients that can be deemed unsafe and result in effects that are opposite to what they are promising”.

“They are also usually sold from an unlicensed or unrecognised site at a cheaper price,” she adds.

To understand how to spot fakes and the alarming ingredients they can contain, The National spoke to seven skin experts about the dangers of counterfeit beauty products.

Are fake beauty products as good as genuine ones?

In a word, no. Because they are illegal, fake products do not undergo laboratory testing in the same way the ingredients in genuine products do, which also means there are no studies on their efficacy.

“The ingredients used in counterfeit products will not go through any trials, testing or legislation checks,” says Maria Hatzistefanis, founder of luxury beauty brand Rodial.

“This means that the product could be made out of anything, the ingredients could be harmful, the packaging may not be compliant and they could be dangerous.”

Dalya Sager, a Dubai-based skincare expert and senior medical aesthetician, says counterfeit cosmetics are designed to closely mimic genuine items, often with up to 90 per cent similarity. “But the quality of the ingredients used to formulate the fake product will be much lower, and therefore, the efficacy of the products and its supposed results will be lower too,” she says.

Dr Ola Alothman, aesthetic GP at Biolite Dubai, warns that while consumers are always on the lookout for the best deals in skincare and beauty, counterfeit products can include “unregulated formulations that do more harm than good and are simply not worth the risk”.

What are the dangers of using fake cosmetics and beauty products?

As the experts have laid out, counterfeit cosmetics and skincare products often do not comply with testing and regulations – therefore, safety standards – which genuine brands do, creating a risk for consumers.

“These products can be harmful, causing serious allergic reactions and inflammation,” says Dr Jamil. Eye infections from fake mascaras and eyeshadows and skin allergies from untested creams and powders are common, as are the dangers of long-term and internal damage.

Dr Alothman says harmful ingredients such as mercury and hydroquinone can wreak havoc on the skin, leading to a compromised skin barrier, irritation, allergies and long-term skin issues.

Anisha Oberoi, founder of Secret Skin, says “everything you apply on your skin goes into your bloodstream and affects your fertility and hormones. There is a negative downstream impact on your well-being and the environment”.

Of particular concern in the unregulated fake products market is counterfeit sunscreen, the use of which can lead to severe skin damage, especially when used during hot weather.

“It is extremely harmful when it comes to counterfeit SPF [sun protection factor],” says Dr Jamil.

“Consumers are under the impression that they are being protected from ultraviolet rays, only to spend time in the sun, resulting in burns and skin damage. This is a huge problem for the Middle East with our hotter climate.”

What kind of toxic ingredients can be found in fake beauty items?

The list of ingredients that may be lurking in counterfeit cosmetics is eye-opening.

“This can be cyanide, arsenic, lead, mercury and even animal urine,” says Dr Goel. “Animal urine is a particularly popular substitute for expensive stabilisers used to prolong fragrances in legitimate products.”

Used to reduce costs, these ingredients can also include heavy metals, and Sager says these are found in abundance in counterfeit products.

“When exceeded, they can harm many organs in the body, including the respiratory, neurological and reproductive systems.”

How to spot a fake beauty product

“First of all, check the price,” says Sager. “Remember the old saying: ‘If a deal looks too good to be true, it most probably is’. Always ensure that the product you are buying has a price in line with the rest of the market.

“Also, check if the retailer is an authorised stockist and seller, and don’t forget to check out reviews.”

In addition to low prices, check the quality of the packaging and the information usually found on products, such as expiry dates, manufacturing information and bar codes.

“Look out for suspiciously low prices, spelling errors, inconsistent fonts and poor-quality printing on packaging,” says Geraldine Van Veuren, brand manager of Comfort Zone.

Hatzistefanis urges buyers to also check for batch numbers, as these are normally left off if the product is not genuine.

If the product has passed the quality packaging test, the next step is to test the item itself. Check for texture, colour and smell, judging against previous iterations of the product you have bought, or on the overall quality of how it feels against fingertips.

Why young people are especially at risk of being duped

Young people are especially at risk of being duped into buying fake beauty and cosmetic products, as genuine items that go viral on social media are quickly copied and put on the marketplace.

“It is commonly seen that when a beauty product or brand achieves a ‘virality’ element on social media or is successful with customers, multiple copies are made by fraudulent sources to capitalise on the trend,” says Oberoi.

“These are exact imitations with the intention to deceive. It won’t have the authentic formulation or the ingredient integrity that the original does, but it looks the same and probably costs less.”