Cost of Beauty Toolkit

March 2026 : The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has published a Toolkit to assist local authorities and partners in raising awareness of unsafe cosmetic products and treatments.

#CostofBeauty Campaign

The Cost of Beauty campaign is led by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to raise awareness of the risks linked to unsafe and illegal cosmetic products and treatments. It highlights the harm that can arise from counterfeit goods and unregulated products, particularly those promoted online and used at home.

Phase One (2024)

The campaign has been delivered in two national phases, each targeting products widely promoted online and commonly used at home without proper safeguards.

Phase One focused on the dangers of:

NAILS
UV gel and liquid and powder nail kits, which can cause burns, allergic reactions and long term nail damage when used incorrectly or when products contain prohibited substances.
SKIN
Skin lightening creams, including products found to contain harmful ingredients such as high strength steroids or mercury.
TEETH
Illegal teeth whitening kits, which can lead to chemical burns, tooth damage and gum injury if products exceed permitted peroxide levels or are used without supervision.

CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PHASE ONE

Phase Two (2025)

Phase Two built on the work of Phase One by expanding the focus to additional products that are heavily marketed through social media and often purchased for at home use. It reinforced the message that cost savings should not come at the expense of safety.

Phase Two concentrated on:

EYELASHES
At home lash lift and tint kits that can cause eye injuries, chemical burns and severe allergic reactions if misused or poorly formulated.
NAILS
Nail adhesives, including glue products associated with skin bonding injuries, burns and allergic contact dermatitis.
NASAL TANNING
Unregulated nasal tanning sprays, which are not authorised cosmetic products and may contain untested or unsafe ingredients.

CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PHASE TWO

The Toolkit 🧰

The Cost of Beauty toolkit supports delivery of the campaign messages. It provides practical resources and clear guidance designed to help educate consumers about the dangers of counterfeit and unsafe cosmetic products and treatments.

Its purpose is to:

• Help people understand the risks
• Highlight common warning signs
• Support safer purchasing decisions

This toolkit equips educators, community leaders and enforcement officers with materials they can use confidently in community settings, schools, workplaces and local campaigns. It focuses on everyday products that are widely available online and through informal sellers.

The resources explain how these products can cause burns, infections, allergic reactions and longer term health harm. They also set out warning signs such as poor labelling, false claims and illegal ingredients.

The content is accessible and adaptable, supporting straightforward conversations about consumer rights, product safety and the risks of buying unregulated beauty products. It reinforces a clear message. Professional treatments should be carried out by trained practitioners using products that meet UK safety requirements.

How to Access the Toolkit

All Cost of Beauty resources are available to download in the resource hub below. To ensure the materials are used consistently and effectively, we recommend reviewing the introductory guidance before accessing the full toolkit. The guidance document can be download directly below. The toolkit has been designed so you can pick and choose which of the resources would work for your audience.

Introductory Guidance

The introductory guidance document provides a clear overview of the toolkit and how it is intended to be used. It sets out:

• The purpose of the campaign and the toolkit
• An outline of the materials included
• Suggested approaches for delivering sessions
• Key messages to reinforce across all activity
• Practical tips for adapting content to different audiences

This document is particularly useful for first time users and for organisations planning structured awareness sessions or wider local campaigns.

Download Introductory Guidance

Full Toolkit

The full Cost of Beauty toolkit contains the complete set of campaign materials. This includes session guides, factsheets, visual assets and supporting resources designed for use in schools, community settings, workplaces and enforcement activity.

The materials are adaptable and can be used as a full structured session or selected individually to suit your audience and setting.

Below are guidance documents that will help you navigate the toolkit and utilise it to its fullest potential:

Session Delivery Guidance

Myths and Digital Assets Guidance

Consumer Factsheet Guidance

Community & Education

Quiz Examples

Additional Resources and Pictures

Social Media

Gel Nail Kits

Lash Lifts and Tints

Nail Glue

Nasal Tanning Sprays

Skin Lightening

Teeth Whitening

Video Assets

Consumer Factsheets

Translated Factsheets

Arabic:

Punjabi:

Urdu:

Welsh:

Translated Skin Lightening Factsheets:

Partner Guidance

Should you have any issues accessing any of the resources, or require something in a different format then please contact CTSI's Policy Team at: [email protected]

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