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>> Asha: This is your Marketplace.
The dirty truth about make-up.
>> So the next person that tried on the blush tester would be
putting that on their face.
>> It's unbelievably disgusting.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We're inside some of the biggest beauty retailers in
the country.
But we're not checking out the latest shades.
>> Let's test out the mascara.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We're secretly swabbing all these make-up testers.
Stores encourage you to try before you buy.
>> Asha: But can you trust those testers to be safe?
Do you try on make-up when you go into a store?
>> I have, yes.
>> Asha: What do you usually try on?
>> Usually foundation.
Eye shadows and the lipsticks.
>> Asha: Do you ever wonder if they're clean?
>> I hope they are.
[ Laughter ]
>> But I guess I have never thought about it.
>> Asha: How do you know?
>> I guess I don't know.
I just trust the store would have good samples out
there for us.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: To find out, we're visiting four make-up giants
that let you test out what they're selling.
Mac, Sephora, The Body Shop and Shoppers Drug Mart.
Starting at Sephora.
>> Asha: Walk through any aisle and you can spot them.
Everyone trying on tester after tester.
And when we ask about trying out the testers,
a warning.
>> Asha: Tell that to these Sephora shoppers.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: When we ask to test out a lip gloss here,
another warning.
>> Asha: Turns out they have a drawer of clean testers but you
got to ask for them.
We continue collecting samples at The Body Shop.
Here, they tell us they clean most testers,
but not powders like eye shadows.
>> Asha: Finally, we check out Shoppers Drug Mart.
>> Asha: When we ask again at a different store.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: From each store, we now have samples of lipsticks,
cream blush, mascara,
lip gloss, and eyeshadow.
Four retailers, 12 locations, 60 testers in total.
We're taking our samples to microbiologist Keith Warriner at
the University of Guelph.
Our team visited four retailers,
and we documented dozens of people trying make-up on but
what are the dangers of doing that?
>> Well, the thing about make-up,
if you think about toothbrushes.
You know, people don't share toothbrushes very often,
do they?
>> Asha: No.
>> But in a way, make-up is exactly the same because we've
got sensitive areas and those areas include the eyes and the
lips and sometimes the skin if it's broken.
So I always liken it to a toothbrush, saying,
well, if you don't share your toothbrush,
why would you go in there and put the make-up on when you know
God knows how many people have been there before you?
>> Asha: He says the testers could have pathogens causing
skin infections and other serious health issues.
Do you think we'll find any of that in these samples?
>> Yes, I would put my mortgage on it.
>> Asha: While we wait for the results...
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We're getting the inside scoop on what's really
going on behind the counter.
Vanessa used to work at Mac and Sephora and Brianne,
she worked at Shoppers Drug Mart.
>> When I worked there in the beauty boutique,
I didn't clean a tester once.
The only cleaning we were doing was say like sweeping,
cleaning the -- like washing the windows where the perfume is,
not actually the make-up itself.
>> Asha: Vanessa says Sephora and Mac train their employees to
keep the testers clean.
But in practice...
>> At Sephora, it's a lot more difficult because of the
magnitude of how many different types of brands that they carry.
It's wild, and then a lot of people do come in,
I feel, like just to kind of do their whole face.
And so you can't really watch them the whole time and maybe
you try to clean your brushes or try to clean or sanitize
whatever products they're using at the time.
It's just really hard to keep on it.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: Back at the lab, time for the dirty truth.
>> I was really surprised how much contamination there
was out there.
It's even more worrying than I thought.
>> Asha: 60 samples from four retailers.
What did you find?
>> So what we found is a lot of the samples had staphylococcus
aureus in and a fair number had mould in.
>> Asha: Yikes.
And when we break it down by retailer.
Let's see what you found at Sephora.
>> Okay.
So, at Sephora we've got a nice collection of
staphylococcus here.
Now, you'll notice here there's a mixture of white and yellow.
The actual yellow ones are true staph aureus which are the nasty
ones, these are the ones that can cause all kinds of issues in
terms of styes, pink eye, and things like that.
>> Asha: Turns out, 8 out of the 15 samples from Sephora tested
positive for staph, five for yeast or mould.
The Shoppers samples.
What did you find there?
>> We found a nice arrangement of staphylococcus.
This is a lipstick.
Not only do we get staphylococcus,
we also got these yeasts and moulds and these can cause
issues especially in terms of if you're immunocompromised so not
unusual to find them because they are residents on
our microflora but, as I say, when you put on your lipstick,
I guess you're not-- you're not thinking about
putting this on.
>> Asha: 6 out of the 15 samples from Shoppers Drug Mart have
staph, 4 have mould.
Are you ready to hear the results?
>> I'm kind of nervous.
I guess, yeah.
>> Asha: This is mould at a Shoppers Drug Mart from
a cream blush tester.
>> Oh, my goodness, that's so gross.
>> Oh, my gosh.
That's terrible.
That is-- That is unspeakably terrible.
>> Asha: This is staph from a Sephora mascara.
>> I don't even know what to say right now.
It's been years that I've been doing this and I just
find out about it.
Unbelievable.
>> Asha: Let's talk about The Body Shop samples.
>> This is from a mascara.
You can see the yellow colonies which is a staph aureus which
can cause issues.
>> Asha: Warriner finds almost half of the samples
at The Body Shop, 7 out of 15, contain staph.
Four have yeast or mould.
And what about the make-up from Mac?
Three out of the 15 samples have staph or have yeast or mould.
And, get this?
>> So, this is from an eyeshadow, what's interesting
about this sample which differentiates from others is
the arrangement of how many different moulds there are.
You see this one in the centre, which is black, that looks like
the sort of mould you would get in a bathroom.
>> Asha: It looks dangerous.
>> Well, it could be.
It's -- I think it's aspergillus,
and the thing about aspergillus is it produces mycotoxins and
can also cause a condition called farmer's lung.
Fortunately with moulds and yeast,
they're usually not a problem unless you're
really susceptible.
>> Asha: At every retailer, we found both staph and mould.
>> A problem.
>> Asha: Why?
>> Well, it's a problem because, you know,
you would expect that if you're going to try something on,
that it is infection-free, that there is no evidence of either
bacteria or mould or virus in that product.
>> Asha: Dermatologist Dr Lisa Kellett says the bacteria we
find could make people sick.
>> One of the signs of infection would be,
first of all, increasing redness in the area,
tenderness, you can get blisters,
and sometimes when it becomes systemic you can develop a fever
with it as well.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Kind of disappointed because we trust their products and we
trust that they're clean, no bacteria,
safe to use, but unfortunately --
>> You're changing our retail experience from this
moment forward.
>> I think that's disgusting and make-up industries
should be more aware of that.
And should take it more seriously,
especially if they're trying to sell a product to people.
>> Asha: The dirty truth about make-up continues.
>> Asha: But can alcohol kill all those germs?
>> Asha: This is your Marketplace.
>> Asha: The dirty truth about make-up on your Marketplace.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We're testing the testers at some
mega-make-up stores.
Our results reveal risky bacteria.
Everything from staph to yeast and mould.
>> That is not okay.
>> Asha: Industry insiders, Brianne and Vanessa,
say the mouldy make-up isn't a surprise.
>> Cleaning testers is expensive,
so let's just say you've had a blush that's been out there for
three years or four years.
>> Asha: Yep, up to four years.
>> So think about a blush just being there and maybe not being
used very much and so everyone just kind of wipes it down every
now and again and, sure, maybe the top layer is sanitary
but you don't know how long it's been there.
>> Asha: Back on hidden camera, staff reassure us there's a
clean fix.
>> Asha: Really?
Time for another lab test.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We taken an alcohol spray, the same one used by
big chains, and ask Warriner to test whether it kills all
the bacteria.
>> What we found, though, it reduces the numbers of
staphylococcus aureus by about 90% or 92% specifically.
>> Asha: Sounds decent.
>> It certainly does.
>> 92%, but when we look at sanitizers,
typically, we're looking for a 99.999%
reduction so the conclusion is that using the spray,
you're basically just reducing the risk,
you're not eliminating the risk.
So is it better than doing nothing?
Certainly is.
Is it a magic wand?
No, it's not.
>> Asha: Time to come clean with shoppers.
A microbiologist, the one that tested all our samples also
tested whether alcohol kills the bacteria off.
It does kill some of it but not all.
>> I don't think I'm going to try any make-up testers
any time soon.
>> I often try on lipsticks, right.
So, what they do is that they spray the alcohol on it to clean
it and I'm there thinking, like, okay, once they do that,
everything is clean, it's safe to use.
I'm going to try it out.
But now that I'm here, I'm realizing that that's not true,
it's not 100% safe.
Like I got bacteria on my lips.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We share our findings with the retailers we visited.
They all suggest customers should consult with staff before
trying on any tester.
They also say they have robust hygiene practices.
Testers are regularly sanitized.
And The Body Shop adds they will be revisiting their programs as
a result.
But this former cosmetician says it's not just the responsibility
of the retailer, it's also a case of trier beware.
>> What I would do is if I'm going to see something in-store
always on the hands-only, I don't go anywhere near my
face and then I'm always wiping off my hands in between
each application.
>> Asha: Warriner agrees.
>> I would be very reserved to recommend anyone to put mascara
on, eyeshadow or lipstick, even blush in a store.
So even though you like a free make-up,
sometimes it's not worth the risk,
is it?
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: Sentiments these shoppers share.
What are you going to do differently the next time you go
into a make-up store?
>> I'm not trying anything on.
[ Laughter ]
>> I swear.
>> Now what I found out today, like no.
Heck, no.
No.
Not the testers.
I'll probably just buy the product instead because
it's safer.
>> Asha: So, knowing what you know, you're going to do
things differently.
>> 100%, yes.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> David: Ever wonder what happens when your email lands
in our in-box?
>> Oh, hi, I'm calling from Marketplace.
>> She thinks it's an accident waiting to happen.
>> Asha: When you hit send, it sends us into action.
>> David: You count on us and we count on you.
And together, create change.
>> So help us decide what to investigate next.
>> Asha: Because this is your Marketplace.
[ ♪♪♪ ]