Of all possible things, don't let a dodgy Kylie Jenner cosmetic set ruin Christmas.
Counterfeit 'high end' beauty products sold online and in certain stores have been found to contain dangerous substances, including arsenic and lead.
The issue was raised after the
Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and
Health Service Executive (HSE) carried out tests on 728 counterfeit cosmetic products, including forged versions of Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner and Urban Decay.
The HPRA has said that in recent months, significant quantities of counterfeit cosmetics have been seized upon entering the country by Revenue's Customs Service with the vast majority being eye-shadow and lip products sold online from non-EU states.
If you or anyone you know uses these products, it might be a good idea to pass this information on to them.
Commenting on the discovery, Aoife Farrell, Cosmetics Compliance Manager at the HPRA, said: "Prolonged exposure to both of these banned substances can severely damage your health causing potential harm to your brain and kidneys, among other organs. The suppliers of these products are unconcerned about the health of the consumers who purchase them.
"We can’t emphasise enough the need for consumers to be vigilant when purchasing cosmetics this Christmas; while they may be sold at a cheaper cost than legitimate beauty products, it is never worth gambling with your health when buying these products.
“As well as the possible toxic ingredients which may be contained in counterfeit cosmetics, the way the products are manufactured and the safety and cleanliness of the production environment is unknown, which is another reason to avoid purchasing and using these cosmetics at all cost”, she continued.
“If a product is much cheaper than in a high street store or pharmacy, consumers should be immediately suspicious and think twice before buying the beauty product."
