Terrifying: Do Your Beauty Products Contain Lead or Human Urine?

We've been known to embrace a budget-friendly drugstore dupe now and then, but the beauty black market is where we draw the line. While the counterfeits may be better for your wallet than the real thing, that's where the advantages end. The BBC reported that phony makeup like eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss can contain toxic levels of lead, arsenic, and mercury. That knockoff of your favorite perfume might have cyanide and human urine in it. And since the factories producing these replica items are often unhygienic, rat droppings and poison can make their way into the formulas. These extra ingredients can also result in severe allergic reactions, including swelling, rashes, and burns.

And if you weren't already turned off from buying cheap counterfeit goods, maybe protecting your bank account is incentive — the people behind the websites selling these products could steal your credit card information for their own personal use. So if you're clicking around online and find an unbelievable deal on your favorite luxury brands, remember: it's probably too good to be true. We'll stick to penny-pinching from now on!