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Mercury, lead and methanol found in counterfeit beauty products seized across UK

Copies of popular cosmetics and skincare products more likely to contain toxic substances, Trading Standards warns Mercury, lead and methanol have been found in counterfeit beauty products seized across the UK, Trading Standards has said.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 1 source•1 min read•Updated October 30, 2026, 1:35 PM UTC

There is a rising problem with fake beauty products, with scammers selling copies of popular and expensive brands.

Cosmetics, skincare and perfumes are now among the watchdog’s most commonly investigated fakes.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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