Fake Fragrances: What Is Really in Them?

Government and industry studies and testing have discovered that some of the ingredients that make up counterfeit cosmetics and fragrances are downright dangerous:

• Phony cosmetics often contain things such as arsenic, beryllium, and cadmium (all known carcinogens) along with high levels of aluminum and dangerous levels of bacteria. Some of these products have caused conditions like acne, psoriasis, rashes, and eye infections.

• Counterfeit fragrances have been found to contain something called DEHP, classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen. These phony perfumes and colognes, which sometimes contain urine as well, have been known to cause serious skin rashes.

From ABC News

Fake Fragrances: What Is Really in Them?By ELISABETH LEAMY (@elisabethleamy) and VANESSA WEBER
Jan. 27, 2010 

"For most shoppers, getting fancy-looking goods at low prices is a good enough reason to buy counterfeit products. But a knockoff is not always a great deal, especially when it comes to counterfeit perfume, because a fake fragrance gets absorbed into the skin.
"Active ingredients found in counterfeit fragrance include things like urine, bacteria, antifreeze," Valerie Salembier, senior vice president and publisher of Harper's Bazaar, said. 

Salembier and her staff have dedicated themselves to exposing counterfeits for more than six years. In the January issue of Harper's Bazaar, they target fake fragrances. They brought the issue of counterfeit perfume to "GMA's" attention. 

"You're putting something on your face, on your neck, on your wrists. Those are sensitive parts of the body, so, to have active ingredients that could endanger your life is a very serious health risk," Salembier said. 

Authorities in Britain and Ireland tested fake fragrances they'd seized and detected urine. Experts speculate it's used as a ph balance stabilizer and for its color

 Dermatologist Jeannette Graf, of Great Neck, N.Y., said she had never seen a reaction from real perfumes, but fake ones can cause contact dermatitis, or an inflammation of the skin.

 "They will invariably say that they felt different as soon as they put it on. They felt burning. They saw redness. It felt uncomfortable, it didn't smell right. And that's almost immediate," Graf said.

 Graf said she is beginning to see more cases, because counterfeit perfumes are easy to buy on the streets and the Internet would not have necessarily had before," Graf said.

Police are stepping up their raids to get the merchandise off the streets and off the market. But just as one shop is shut down, another one pops up. 

ABC News' undercover cameras documented shelves upon shelves of fragrances that experts said contain the telltale signs of counterfeits. 

"We see it happening every day. I mean, whether it's vendors [selling] out of their trunk at athletic events, whether it's kiosk-type people at flea markets, sometimes, they actually get into the shopping centers," Elaine Marshall, North Carolina's secretary of state, said.

Attempt to Drive Down Demand for Fake Fragrances 

Earlier this month, Marshall's team and other federal and county agencies conducted a raid at a liquidation sale in downtown Durham.

The team seized $3.6 million worth of counterfeits, including fake perfume.
"We want to drive down demand. We want people to realize that it's not a bargain. It's not a bargain because they're dealing with some bad folks," Marshall said. 

So the next time you reach for a fake another word should come to mind: fraud.

"It is not a victimless crime. The money spent on counterfeit goods supports terrorism, child labor, drug cartels," Salembier said."

Personal Care Products Council Statement

Jan. 27, 2010 

"In response to an ABC News story about counterfeit perfumes the Personal Care Products Council released the following statement: 

"Counterfeit products are damaging to all facets of American business and can be hazardous to consumers. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the value of seized counterfeit fragrances increased by more than five times from 2007-2008 to a street value of $6.7 million. Counterfeiting and piracy have taken a serious, negative toll on our economy, contributing to the loss of an estimated 750,000 American jobs. 

"Cosmetic and personal care product companies take great pride in producing safe, quality products, including fragrances. However, unlike authentic fragrances, counterfeit fragrances are not subject to the same strict safety substantiation requirements required under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). Consumers should purchase fragrances from reputable, recognized retail outlets or directly from the manufacturer, to be assured they are purchasing an authentic, safe product."