Number 6: Lydia Craven 3-year-old Lydia Craven loved playing with
her mom’s makeup.
So Kylie Craven, her mother, decided to buy her a kid makeup kit at the local dollar store.
Craven was excited to try out her gift and immediately began applying the cosmetics on
her lips, cheeks, and eyelids.
Less than an hour later, the little girl started experiencing extreme discomfort.
Her face was swollen, and painful blisters had appeared around her mouth.
In less than 24 hours, the child could barely open her eyes due to the swelling.
Craven was rushed to the hospital and needed to be admitted in order to deal with her extreme
allergic reaction.
She also complained her skin was burning, so her mother had to soothe her with cold
packs twice an hour just to keep the pain down.
The little girl’s rash spread to the rest of her body.
Craven’s mother was shocked, as the makeup kit she bought was labelled as being nontoxic.
Eventually, Craven made a full recovery and, as of the making of this video, isn’t suspected
to have developed any long-term allergies.
Her mother posted her story online to warn other parents about the danger of makeup kits
aimed for children.
What is it?
Cosmetics have been around for centuries.
Throughout history, remaining fashionable and abiding by the era’s preferred style
hasn’t always been healthy.
We tend to believe that we’ve evolved from the times when people used mercury, lead,
or bird droppings as ingredients in their cosmetics.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Though reputable brands abide by health regulations, there are off brands and counterfeit products
that can significantly harm their users.
Knockoffs are an inevitable side effect of today’s markets.
Clothes and accessories tend to be mostly harmless, but when it comes to makeup, the
situation is often different.
People seem to always be on the hunt for a good bargain, and the ultra-cheap cosmetics
industry takes advantage of their gullibility.
This industry keeps growing each year.
Back in 2014, customer complaints raised by 357% in the U.S. alone.
In many cases websites like Alibaba, the Chinese version of Amazon, make the problem worse.
There are countless announcements for incredibly cheap cosmetics.
Even when these products are openly presented as being counterfeit, they are rarely eliminated
from the listings.
Some people don’t even realize they are purchasing a knockoff, and they use the product,
believing it’s the real deal.
This, aside from individual health risks, also ruins brands’ reputations in the long
run.
Number 5: Unnamed Californian woman An unnamed Californian woman was left in a
semi-comatose state after suffering from mercury poisoning.
The woman had purchased a Mexican skin cream.
She wasn’t aware that the product included methylmercury and applied it freely to her
body.
She began feeling sick soon after.
At first, the 47-year-old woman didn’t give her symptoms much importance.
Soon, it became clear there was something wrong.
She experienced numbness in the places she had applied the cream, especially her hands
and face.
Worse still, the woman struggled to talk and walk.
Her slurred speech worried her son, and they drove to the hospital.
Once there, tests determined that she had incredibly high levels of mercury in her bloodstream.
It was over 500 times higher than the safety limit.
The cream was analyzed, and it was proven to have been the cause of the poisoning.
The company that produced the skin cream assured authorities that they didn’t use methylmercury
in their products.
Sometimes, unscrupulous resellers purchase significant quantities of cosmetics and add
all kinds of dangerous ingredients to multiply their sales.
The Californian woman had unfortunately not purchased the creams from an authorized seller.
As of the filming of this video, the woman remains semi-comatose.
She cannot speak and requires help to feed herself.
Doctors think her condition may be permanent.
Where Is It Located?
Unfortunately, counterfeit cosmetics can be found all around the world.
Even stores and supermarkets that have a decent reputation have been known to sell off-brands.
It’s common to find them in smaller venues, such as mall kiosks, flea markets as well
as listed by resellers on social media.
The growth of different e-commerce platforms has boosted the sales of fake makeup.
With fake reviews and incredibly low prices, sellers and producers manage to make fortunes
while customers are left to suffer.
Most of these fake and dangerous cosmetics are produced in China and Hong Kong.
These products are produced in unsanitary facilities, with little regard for the consumer’s
safety or wellbeing.
The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime has long since been warning the public about this problem.
Between 2008 and 2010, they reported that up to 70% of all counterfeit products originated
from China.
This includes cosmetics and other dangerous knockoffs.
The cosmetic industry loses so much money yearly that they actually go to great lengths
to put a stop to it.
Giants of the industry like Estee Lauder have created departments within their companies
to fight against this problem worldwide.
Government agencies regularly confiscate such products, but the growing fake cosmetic market
is getting harder and harder to contain.
Number 4: Jade Inglis 19-year-old Jade Inglis almost lost sight
in her right eye after using micellar oil-infused cleansing water.
She removed the cosmetics used on her eyes with the Garnier product she had purchased
and went straight to bed.
Everything seemed fine at first.
However, as soon as she woke up, she realized she couldn’t open her right eye.
She went to the hospital after realizing her eye seemed to be glued shut.
Inglis also noticed a strange discharge oozing from the side of her eyelid.
To her shock, when she arrived at the hospital, her eye was treated with a solution used on
acid attack victims.
The eye’s P.H. level was much higher than average, and it had actually changed color.
It turned a bright shade of green, but this side effect lasted only a few hours.
After the pain was mitigated, she underwent an exam to know if there would be permanent
damage.
The doctors discovered an abrasion on her pupil.
It had been caused by a chemical burn.
She had to take antibiotics and pain medication to manage the discomfort.
Inglis returned to the E.R. once more when her condition didn’t improve.
She was sent home, as the doctors explained time and medications would end up healing
the wound.
Number 3: Soraya Moghis Soraya Moghis decided to get a chemical peel
at a local salon.
It turned out to be a painful experience that sent her directly to the E.R. Moghis claimed
she arrived at the salon for another treatment but was pressured into purchasing another
package instead.
The chemical peel removes the top layer of the skin.
It allows the complexion to look fresher and renewed, when done correctly.
The young woman had had chemical peels in the past and experienced little discomfort.
She expected a subtle burning sensation, but the pain continued to grow.
It was then that she knew something was wrong.
Moghis noticed the implements used during the treatment didn’t seem clean.
She returned the very next day, complaining of intense pain on her face.
She decided to film the filthy drawer containing the products used for the chemical peel and
went to the hospital.
The doctors informed her she had developed second-degree burns and treated her wounds.
When her mother called the salon to complain, they offered her a free peel in exchange.
When Moghis and her mother refused, they sent a check for $500, covering the cost of the
treatment and the hospitalization charges.
Moghis’s family refused the offer and considered pursuing legal actions against the salon.
Todays video was requested by just some guy without a child, if you have any other topics
you’d like to learn about subscribe and let us know in the comments section below
How Will It Kill You?
Unscrupulous counterfeit cosmetic manufacturers mix in all kinds of harmful ingredients in
their products.
Not only do they not ensure their goods are manufactured in a clean environment, they
even select the cheapest components possible.
Paint thinner, mercury, lead, and even arsenic have been found in these products.
More horrifying, they can even be laced with human feces.
Though some counterfeit cosmetics may be harmless others are downright lethal.
Some consequences include swelling in the area the makeup was applied on, as well as
rashes, chemical burns, diarrhea, headaches, and intense discomfort.
Particularly delicate areas such as the eyes can suffer even worse results.
Blindness, seizures, and long-lasting allergic reactions are a frighteningly real possibility.
The FBI has warned consumers that some ingredients in counterfeit makeup include known carcinogens.
This means that over time, they can even cause cancer.
Even when the counterfeit manufacturer tries to emulate the product’s original formula,
it can end up disastrous.
As they don’t know the exact amount needed for every ingredient, they may include harmful
quantities.
This is especially true when it comes to preservatives, which can trigger allergic reactions.
It’s worth mentioning that an initially harmless chemical can turn into a poison if
the doses aren’t correct.
Number 2: Theresa Lynch Theresa Lynch didn’t understand why she
was feeling like her eyelids were heavy and irritated.
She also noticed a strange discharge oozing from her eye.
She attempted to alleviate it with drops, but it only got worse.
She claimed it felt like sand was rubbing against her eye and didn’t understand what
was causing the discomfort.
The Maryland resident decided to visit the E.R. and was shocked by the doctor’s findings.
She had developed calcified bumps underneath her eyelids.
She was recommended surgery to remove them.
If she refused, she could lose her eyesight permanently.
The procedure had her fully anesthetized and for over 90 minutes.
There were so many bumps that they grew on top of each other.
Though she didn’t lose her vision, she was left with permanent scarring on her cornea.
The doctors determined these injuries had been caused by her mascara.
Lynch didn’t properly remove her makeup every night, and over time, this habit produced
the black lumps.
Doctors explained that she was lucky she hadn’t developed a severe infection.
This would have potentially led to more serious consequences, like her permanently losing
her sight.
How to Survive?
There are specific measures you can take to avoid using counterfeit cosmetics.
First and foremost, it may be as easy as not purchasing products you know for sure are
bootlegged.
Some customers are fooled by deceitful packaging, but others simply are looking for a cheap
alternative.
If the cosmetic’s price is too good to be true, it probably is.
Counterfeit manufacturers are able to sell their products dirt cheap because they don’t
use quality ingredients and don’t worry about their customers’ wellbeing.
They also don’t abide by any health regulations.
There are several ways of distinguishing a fake brand from the real deal.
The product’s smell is usually a telltale sign.
If it has an astringent aroma, this is often a bad sign.
Typically, brand products have pleasant scents, and even if they don’t, they won’t have
chemical tones.
Also, it’s a good idea to check the consistency.
If it’s not smooth, and particularly chalky or thin, it’s probably not of good quality.
The color might not be quite right, either.
It’s best to try the product on the hands or arms first instead of applying it directly
on the face.
Counterfeit manufacturers tend to do a good job with the packaging appearance.
Still, they don’t pay much attention to details.
So read the whole text printed on the product.
If there are misspelled words, that’s a sure sign that it’s not the real deal.
Lastly, it’s better to buy cosmetics in official and authorized locations, such as
the brand’s website.
If customers decide to purchase it online from e-commerce sites such as eBay or Alibaba,
they should be careful to only purchase them from reputable sellers.
Number 1: Jo Gilchrist Jo Gilchrist, a 27-year-old mother, was getting
ready for a Valentine’s Day date when she began feeling sick.
She experienced intense pain in her back that was only getting worse.
Gilchrist claimed it was even more painful than childbirth.
After losing feeling in her lower body, the emergency services were called.
The young woman had to be airlifted to the hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery.
After the operation, she was told by the doctors that she’d never be able to walk again.
She had developed a massive infection that had permanently damaged her spine.
It was a drug-resistant type of staph.
After doing much research, Gilchrist realized that she had contracted it by using a makeup
brush.
The doctors informed her that it was more common than people tend to believe.
She had unfortunately contracted a particularly aggressive illness instead of a regular infection.
The latter is usually solved by a prescription of antibiotics.
She suffered from long-lasting pain after the surgery, as well as nausea and general
weakness.
Gilchrist refused to accept her doctor’s diagnosis and began a strict physical therapy
program.
The young mother of one managed to regain some of the mobility in her legs and kept
working towards recovery.
Thanks for watching!
Would you rather wear makeup containing dangerous chemicals, or allow your friends & family
to go through your browsing history?
Let us know in the comments section below!