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Here’s Why Counterfeit Makeup Is a Real Threat to Your Health

Still wondering why you should care about counterfeit makeup? While the packaging may be pretty, you’d be SHOCKED to learn what’s inside.

By Aly Zorn

By Aly ZornView Author PostsNov 10th 2017

Counterfeit makeup. You’ve likely never heard of it and you’re probably wondering why you should care. The answer may not be so obvious. From MAC compacts to Kylie Lip Kits, some of the copies are so darn convincing you wouldn’t even bat a (mascaraed) eye. While the packaging may be pretty, you’d be shocked to learn what’s inside.

The majority of the counterfeit cosmetics are being produced in China, in filthy conditions. “If you took the most disgusting frat house bathroom, it looks like a surgical suite compared to these conditions. It’s filthy, there’s bacteria everywhere,” Gregg Marrazzo, Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel of the Estée Lauder Companies told Refinery29.

According to the DailyMail, bacteria and chemicals like E. coli, mercury and paint stripper have also been found inside many of the products. The FBI has even reported rat droppings and horse urine!

What’s even scarier is that beauty bloggers/vloggers Sarah Tanya, Jordan Byers and Missy Chrissy, who were included in the Refinery29 article, stated they purchased the products online from popular marketplace sites. Thinking they were getting an unbelievable bargain, they ended up instead with horrible reactions like skin rashes, chemical burns and eye infections from the toxic ingredients.

The reach of counterfeit goods is spreading too. Downtown Los Angeles’ infamous Santee Alley shopping district used to be bursting with fake designer bags, but now many of the tables are lined with Kylie Lip Kits, Anastasia Beverly Hills highlighters, and MAC lipsticks.

For the uneducated consumer it’s pretty darn tempting, but for the beauty industry it’s creating an even bigger problem. Flagging the counterfeit goods is one thing, but stopping the supply chain is near impossible.

Watch as Refinery29 goes undercover in this shocking video and reveals the dangers of counterfeit cosmetics. You’re not going to want to put this makeup anywhere near your face!