This Is A Surprising Source Of Toxins During The Holidays According To Top Toxicologist
It’s that time of year! Gift giving can be such a joy: finding something thoughtful, celebrating your people, and embracing moments of true connection.
But it’s also—obviously—a source of stress too: navigating tight timelines, stretching budgets, and scouring the internet for the best deals.
As holiday shopping picks up (it's Cyber Monday, after all) there’s a serious source of toxin exposure that’s lurking behind those suspiciously low discounts.
An unsuspecting source of toxins around the holidays
Counterfeit cosmetics and personal care products are flooding online marketplaces, posing a serious threat to skin and overall health. These fakes—often marketed as “dupes”—have become so widespread that nearly three-quarters of U.S. consumers report being tempted by their low price tags, according to recent industry data from the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC).
Toxicologist Kimberly Norman, PhD, senior director of safety and regulatory toxicology at PCPC, warns that counterfeit beauty products are routinely produced far outside regulated manufacturing systems and may be made with dangerous ingredients.
“Counterfeit cosmetics and personal care products are often produced in unregulated, unsanitary environments and lack the quality and safety safeguards of authentic products,” she explains. “Reports have shown that these fake products contain substandard ingredients, dangerous levels of bacteria, mold, and even waste products. In some cases, the deliberate inclusion of banned substances, such as mercury, has been confirmed.”
PCPC notes that independent analyses of counterfeit makeup circulating on social platforms have detected heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, and beryllium, along with high levels of aluminum and mercury. Many samples also showed dangerous bacterial contamination.
Let's repeat that: These products may contain bacteria, mold, waste products, heavy metals, aluminum, and mercury.
Those hidden contaminants can have immediate and sometimes severe consequences.
“The most common adverse effects are skin reactions, ranging from mild irritation to more serious concerns like skin allergies and infections,” Norman says. Consumers who notice redness, burning, or swelling should stop using the product right away.
To curb the spread of these unsafe products, the PCPC, with backing from the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), is launching a new national awareness effort called “Buy No Lie" to help shoppers spot red flags.
Beauty product red flags to watch out for:
- Buy from a reputable seller: Check brand websites, sellers’ locations and “sold by” information. Your best bet is to buy straight from the brand or reputable retail sites (think: Sephora, Ulta, department stores, and so on.) Shipping from unusual locations or sellers without brand authorization is another sign the item may be counterfeit.
- Read the reviews: Look for comments or concerns of fake products or overly generic language. Don’t be afraid to Google around to see if the website might be a scam—usually you can find comments on Reddit or other social media sites flagging concerns.
- Compare pricing: If the price seems too good to be true, it usually is.
And most importantly, trust your instinct. “Look for suspiciously low prices, vague product descriptions, lack of official brand imagery, unverified sellers, and suspicious reviews,” says Norman.
The takeaway
With millions of Americans preparing to stock up on beauty gifts, experts say awareness is the strongest safeguard. “If a cosmetic or personal care product causes symptoms, consumers should immediately stop using it,” Norman emphasizes.
And if you want pre-vetted, editor-approved products, be sure to check out our gift guide for the beauty lovers in your life.