LoginChildren ‘At Risk’ from Nail Kits
CTSI is warning that nail glue kits sold online pose serious health risks.
Journal of Trading Standards Staff
Posted 26 May 2025 | JoTS Online
Content Tags: Updates|Product Safety|National
The health of children and young people is being put at risk by dangerous cosmetic products flooding online marketplaces, with unsafe and unregulated products such as glue nail kits leaving users with life-changing health problems, CTSI has warned.
“Parents are being faced with an extreme amount of social pressure to allow their children to have the latest beauty treatments, which are not intended or suitable for children,” said Kerry Nicol, External Affairs Manager at CTSI. “Not all products sold online are safe.”
CTSI’s warning comes following a case featured on the TV series Rip-Off Britain in which 12-year-old Chloe from Kent was left with horrible injuries after buying a false nail set from online marketplace Temu. During application, the nail glue was accidentally knocked over and got onto Chloe’s hands.
Online marketplaces like Temu must be held to account – their inaction is putting people at risk, and it’s time they faced the same responsibilities as reputable high street retailers
The young girl said she had “never felt pain like that before” and that it was “very sharp and stinging”. By the following day, the skin on Chloe’s hands had badly blistered, and after seeking medical attention it transpired that the nail glue had burnt through to the nerve endings. Chloe was sent to a specialist burns unit for treatment where skin from her thigh was used to replace the burnt skin on her hands. Chloe will always have scars and may never regain full feeling in her hands.
“Raising awareness about these type of unsafe cosmetics sits as part of our broader #CostofBeauty campaign that has been launched to highlight the danger and risk to consumers,” said Nicol. “We want consumers to be able to make informed choices when buying cosmetic products, which can often come with hefty price tags.”
CTSI urges the public:
- not to buy nail glue online from unknown sellers;
- only to buy nail glue or any other related products from reputable retailers;
- report any unsafe products to Trading Standards via consumer helplines.
Richard Knight, CTSI Lead Officer for Cosmetics and Beauty, said: “False nail glues contain necessarily strong chemicals in their safe form, but the risk to the health of consumers becomes intolerable if the disreputable manufacturer has not safety assessed the formulation and has not listed ingredients or provided clear warnings and instructions for the home user. The safest option is to go to a professional nail technician who should use only safe adhesives and who will accurately apply the glue without risking accidental damage to the skin.”
Gill Furniss, Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Consumer Protection said: “The rise in unregulated and unsafe beauty products is deeply worrying – especially when young people are being exposed to serious risks in the pursuit of impossible standards.
I fully support the Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s ‘Cost of Beauty’ campaign and will be pushing for stronger regulation and enforcement to protect vulnerable consumers. Nobody should have to gamble with their health in the name of beauty – especially when the result could be permanent scarring, blindness, or lifelong injury. Online marketplaces like Temu must be held to account – their inaction is putting people at risk, and it’s time they faced the same responsibilities as reputable high street retailers.”
Caroline Larissey, Chief Executive of the National Hair & Beauty Federation, said: “Our members across the UK have witnessed first-hand the devastating consequences of at-home treatments gone wrong, from chemical burns from lash kits to severe nail infections. I urge all hair and beauty professionals to take a moment with each client to discuss the real costs of cutting corners – because true beauty should never compromise safety. Cutting corners can lead to poor results or even long-term damage – professional expertise makes all the difference. By supporting this campaign and sharing CTSI’s excellent resources, we can protect our clients and our sectors reputation for professional excellence.”
PLEASE NOTE: This content originally appeared on our standalone Journal of Trading Standards website (www.journaloftradingstandards.co.uk), which we are gradually migrating over to the Journal's new home on the CTSI website. Please bear with us while we complete this process. This will not affect the production of our Print Edition.
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Content Tags: Updates|Product Safety|National
