Social media feeds are increasingly offering luxury serums for €9, cult mascaras at half price, and limited-time fragrance deals. While these may appear to be bargains, experts warn they could be counterfeit beauty products that pose serious health risks.
According to the UK Government’s Intellectual Property Office, online purchases of counterfeit cosmetics and toiletries rose by 6% at the end of 2025. Dr Emma Meredith OBE, director-general of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, warns: 'Counterfeit beauty products might look like the real deal, but that’s where the similarity stops. Behind the copycat packaging, you could be buying something that doesn’t work as promised and could even put your health at risk.'
Unlike legitimate cosmetics, fakes do not comply with EU Regulation 1223/2009, which requires strict safety assessments, labelling, and notification. In Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority enforces these rules. Each genuine product must have a Cosmetic Product Safety Report by a qualified professional and list a Responsible Person with an address. Counterfeits bypass all of this, meaning their ingredients and production conditions are unknown.
The surge in fakes is partly due to the pandemic-driven shift to online shopping, which counterfeiters exploit using false identities and stolen imagery. Economic pressures also drive consumers to seek discounts. Tests by the UK Intellectual Property Office found counterfeit beauty products contained carcinogens like beryllium oxide, heavy metals such as arsenic and lead, and evidence of rodent urine and horse faeces, indicating unsanitary production.
Using these products can cause allergic reactions, chemical burns, infections, and long-term skin damage. To spot fakes, look for dramatically low prices, misspelt brand names, flimsy packaging, missing ingredient lists, and online sellers with flash sales, poor product pages, and no customer service engagement. Always verify that a product lists a full ingredients panel and an EU Responsible Person with a physical address.
