04/07/2026
Scoring skincare deals online?
Sometimes you can find lower prices when you search for your favorite products online, but there are plenty of downright dangerous dupes out there to look out for.
A recent Wirecutter investigation highlights just how pervasive this issue has become. Journalists purchased 12 popular products—including brands like CeraVe, SkinCeuticals, Rhode, Drunk Elephant, and Charlotte Tilbury—from third-party marketplace sellers.
The findings were startling:
- Universal Failure: Every single product tested by the lab was definitively identified as a counterfeit or otherwise problematic.
- Invisible Dangers: A spectrometer analysis found that some products were nearly 100% different in chemical composition from the authentic versions. One tube of lip gloss was even "bloated," a sign of potential microbial growth or a volatile chemical reaction to the packaging.
- The "Rating" Trap: Many of these dangerous products were sold by accounts with "99% positive" feedback, proving that high seller ratings are no guarantee of authenticity.
Find out how to protect yourself in this month's blog!