A series of studies has found that fashion and beauty products sold on Shein and Temu contain dangerous levels of toxic chemicals. Conducted by Seoul Metropolitan Government, investigative product testing found that items like shoes and nail polish sold on sites like Shein, Temu and AliExpress contained chemicals, like phthalates and formaldehyde at dangerous levels. Traces of PFAs (polyfluoroalkyl chemicals) and lead were also found. Some of the chemicals are carcinogenic or endocrine disruptors, and can also exacerbate conditions like dermatitis and eczema.
While a lot of clothing (really, any products made of plastic and petrochemicals) contain toxic substances like phthalates, there are accepted and legal safety levels set by national regulators. However, many of the 144 products from the aforementioned e-tailers tested by Seoul’s government, including footwear, bags, hats and more, were found to contain more than a hundred times the safe limit.
For example, one pair of shoes from Shein was found to have 428 times the safe limit of phthalates, and another pair, 229 times. According to Choice, an Australian consumer watchdog, phthalates are suspected of being carcinogenic and may disrupt hormones.
Meanwhile, a pair of shoes from Temu contained 11 times the permissible limit of lead. According to an ABC News report citing the World Health Organisation, lead can be absorbed through skin contact, and even small amounts “is capable of impairing multiple organs”. Temu spokespeople confirmed they removed the specific shoes from their website, once the issue was flagged.
Some beauty products also failed the toxicology tests. Nail polish from Shein was found to contain three times the acceptable level of dioxane, a possible carcinogen. The nail polish caps contained formaldehyde at twice the safe limit. According to Choice, “exposure to low levels of formaldehyde] irritates the eyes, nose, throat and can cause allergies affecting the skin and lungs.”
The Seoul study of 144 products is not the only research being conducted into the toxicity of products sold by online retailers.
A separate study conducted by CBC Marketplace, lead by environmental chemist Miriam Diamond from the University of Toronto, found that of a sample of 38 products (including children’s, adult’s and maternity clothing), one in five contained dangerous levels of lead, PFAs and phthalates. In its findings, the report cited Shein as the worst offender.
Furthers tests commissioned in the UK found some children’s products sold on Temu contained unsafe levels of heavy metals like lead, cadmium and antimony that could reportedly cause “serious mental and physiological disorders”, per ABC News.
While these studies have targeted products sold on Shein, Temu and Ali Express, sustainability advocates say there is widespread issues of chemicals in fast fashion products.
Sustainability advocacy group Common Hours says Shein and Temu are “just two of many companies that endanger consumers and garment workers with unsustainable products.” The group is calling for a boycott of the fashion industry to “take a stand against these reckless brands”.
ELLE Australia has reached out to Temu for comment.
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