UK Seizures of Counterfeit Cosmetics Found to Contain Mercury, Lead and Methanol: How Chinese Beauty Brands Expanding to the UK Can Respond to Counterfeiting Risks

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) launched the "Face the Fakes" campaign on 2, month 11, 2026. Trading Standards sampled and tested 50 seized counterfeit cosmetic items, of which 20 (four in ten) were found to contain potentially harmful substances: a whitening cream contained mercury at 1.32%, i.e. 13,200 ppm; a contour palette contained lead at 40 mg/kg, and lipsticks and eyeshadows also tested positive for high levels of lead; a counterfeit perfume contained approximately 80% methanol; and another counterfeit perfume tested positive for nicotine, while a whitening cream tested positive for 8.1% hydroquinone. Cosmetics, skincare products and perfumes are now among the ten categories of counterfeit goods most frequently investigated by Trading Standards.

The shift on the consumer side is equally clear. The fifth round of the IPO's "Counterfeit Goods Tracker" (published on 17, month 9, 2026) shows that among people aged 18 to 24 who bought beauty products in 2025, 20% admitted to buying fakes despite knowing they were counterfeit, more than three times the figure for 2023 in 6%; and among consumers who bought counterfeit cosmetics and personal care products, 71% completed the transaction through online channels—product pages, brand visuals and positive reviews are enough to make fakes hard to identify.

Helen Barnham, Head of Enforcement Engagement at the UK Intellectual Property Office, said that counterfeiters exploit brand names and reputations that consumers know and trust, while bypassing the strict safety standards that legitimate businesses work hard to meet. This means that brands expanding overseas face a double exposure in the UK: counterfeiters borrow the trust a brand has built up over years, and if counterfeit products cause allergic reactions, irritation or other health problems, consumers' trust will fall on the brand first.

For Chinese brands selling beauty, skincare or fragrance products in the UK, the direct implication is this: trademark registration is a prerequisite for enforcement, but it is not the whole of enforcement. After obtaining registration, brands still need to match the registered classes to the goods and services actually sold, checking whether the core classes cover skincare, colour cosmetics, perfumes and related retail services; at the same time, they should compile evidence of use in the UK, authorised distribution relationships and a list of official channels. These materials determine whether, when facing counterfeit product listings, a brand can clearly explain its rights basis, its genuine channels and the source of confusion, rather than asserting rights on the strength of a certificate alone.

Three categories of matters can be checked first. First, check the status and scope of the UK trademark rights, confirming whether the core goods and retail services fall within the registration and whether there are gaps requiring supplementary applications or adjustments to the filing strategy. Second, check the UK sales chain, including authorised distributors, e-commerce platform stores and social channel sellers, clarifying which entities are entitled to use the brand marks and which channels require priority monitoring. Third, check evidence retention, including genuine packaging, batch numbers and ingredient labelling, sales records and consumer communication records, to prepare for platform complaints or subsequent proceedings. The IPO has already issued guidance through industry organisations to salons, beauty practitioners and small businesses, covering how to identify warning signs and trustworthy sourcing, prompting brand owners to bring authorisation of distributors and contract manufacturing into the same checklist.

The applicable conditions should be stated: the above is aimed at Chinese brands expanding to the UK that already sell, or plan to sell, beauty, skincare and fragrance products, is based on IPO public materials and survey data, and does not constitute a judgment on any specific brand's liabilities or remedies under UK law; platform complaints, administrative enforcement and litigation each have their own applicable conditions and evidentiary requirements, and must be checked separately in light of the specific rights status. For enterprises that have not yet entered the UK market or that only make small cross-border sales, the priority remains completing trademark searches and registration planning.

Source: UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) press release "IPO campaign launched as toxins found in counterfeit beauty products", 2026/11/2; IPO "Counterfeit Goods Tracker" fifth round, published 2026/9/17.
Note: The content of this article is compiled from public information and is only general intellectual property popularization and practical observation, for information reference only; it does not constitute legal advice or other professional advice for any specific case, and the relevant determinations and conclusions should be subject to the official published documents and the actual circumstances of the individual case.