LoginCTSI Sounds Alarm on Cosmetic Drips
CTSI is calling for urgent regulation of the cosmetic procedures sector to protect public health.
Journal of Trading Standards Staff
Posted 30 June 2025 | JoTS Online
Content Tags: Updates|Health and Safety|National
CTSI is calling for the introduction of a licensing scheme to regulate the cosmetic procedures sector following a major Channel 4 News investigation which revealed widespread safety failings in the marketing and administering of intravenous glutathione drips.
The Channel 4 News investigation found more than 300 beauty salons across the UK offering the procedure, which is use for skin whitening, lightening and brightening. Many of the salons administer glutathione drips with no medical supervision, and in some cases with poor hygiene or safety standards.
The investigation also found glutathione vials being sold with ease online without any checks and administered in clinics without medical oversight. Many of the product and procedures are marketed online via social media with misleading claims, and appear to be targeted at particularly vulnerable consumers.
People who have been administered with glutathione drips have reported suffering serious side effects including anaphylaxis requiring hospitalisation, kidney strain and infections. Internationally, improperly administered glutathione drips have led to blindness and even death, according to the Channel 4 News investigation.
However, these procedures are entirely unregulated in the UK, and injectable products like glutathione are still being sold with ease online and in person.
We are calling for the urgent regulation of a wild west sector that has the ability to cause great harm to consumers
Kerry Nicol, CTSI External Affairs Manager, said: “I am truly shocked that these procedures are being carried out in the UK. These are not harmless beauty treatments – they are medical-style procedures being administered with no clinical oversight, no regulation, and no accountability. The consequences can be devastating. These procedures may be common overseas, but in the UK, we uphold the highest of safety standards and these products and procedures have no place on UK shores.
“We are calling for the urgent regulation of a wild west sector that has the ability to cause great harm to consumers.”
Richard Knight, CTSI Lead Officer for Cosmetics and Beauty, said: “Trading Standards will accept reports of incidents or concerns around these IV drip skin brightening treatments, but consumers need to be aware that our current product and service provision laws don’t adequately regulate this emerging area in the beauty sector. Therefore it’s not appropriate to demand stricter enforcement against providers of IV beauty treatments, because enforcement bodies don’t have adequate legal tools to tackle these harms.
“Whilst we in Trading Standards join with Environmental Health colleagues in seeking a concerted effort across Government to deal with these treatments, as well as dermal fillers, fat dissolving injectables, and liquid BBLs, the situation in the meantime is that consumers should only consider having any needle-based aesthetic treatments carried out by a qualified medical professional.”
CTSI is calling for:
- A licensing scheme to help regulate the sector and prevent unqualified individuals from administering high-risk procedures
- The establishment of a Ministerial-led government Task Force to coordinate enforcement, regulation, and reform across the sector
- The extension of underage legislation relating to aesthetic procedures to cover Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- The removal of unsafe products sold online, especially injectable substances like glutathione that can be purchased with no checks
Ashton Collins, Director at the cosmetic safety campaign group Save Face, said: “We are extremely concerned about the increase in the availability of glutathione IV drips in the UK. These treatments are not licensed for cosmetic use here and pose significant health risks. Unfortunately, they are being offered in unregulated, unsterile environments without proper clinical oversight.
“Prescribers and providers must understand that prescribing unlicensed medicines like glutathione outside of a genuine clinical diagnosis and therapeutic need is both dangerous and illegal. The importation and supply of these unlicensed medicines for purely cosmetic use is a clear breach of regulations, and we strongly urge regulatory bodies to take decisive action – these practices put consumer health at grave risk and must be stopped.”
In response to the Channel 4 News investigation, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said: “Work is ongoing to explore options around regulation of the non-surgical cosmetics sector and we will provide an update at the earliest opportunity.”
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|Health and Safety|National
