[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: This is
your Marketplace.
The dirty truth about make-up.
>> So the next person that tried
on the blush tester would be
putting that on their face.
>> It's unbelievably disgusting.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We're inside some of
the biggest beauty retailers in
the country.
But we're not checking
out the latest shades.
>> Let's test out the mascara.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We're secretly swabbing
all these make-up testers.
Stores encourage you
to try before you buy.
>> Asha: But can you trust
those testers to be safe?
Do you try on make-up
when you go into a store?
>> I have, yes.
>> Asha: What do
you usually try on?
>> Usually foundation.
Eye shadows and the lipsticks.
>> Asha: Do you ever
wonder if they're clean?
>> I hope they are.
[ Laughter ]
>> But I guess I have
never thought about it.
>> Asha: How do you know?
>> I guess I don't know.
I just trust the store would
have good samples out
there for us.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: To find out, we're
visiting four make-up giants
that let you test out
what they're selling.
Mac, Sephora, The Body
Shop and Shoppers Drug Mart.
Starting at Sephora.
>> Asha: Walk through any
aisle and you can spot them.
Everyone trying on
tester after tester.
And when we ask about
trying out the testers,
a warning.
>> Asha: Tell that to these
Sephora shoppers.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: When we ask to
test out a lip gloss here,
another warning.
>> Asha: Turns out they have a
drawer of clean testers but you
got to ask for them.
We continue collecting
samples at The Body Shop.
Here, they tell us
they clean most testers,
but not powders
like eye shadows.
>> Asha: Finally, we
check out Shoppers Drug Mart.
>> Asha: When we ask
again at a different store.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: From each store, we
now have samples of lipsticks,
cream blush, mascara,
lip gloss, and eyeshadow.
Four retailers, 12 locations,
60 testers in total.
We're taking our samples to
microbiologist Keith Warriner at
the University of Guelph.
Our team visited
four retailers,
and we documented dozens of
people trying make-up on but
what are the
dangers of doing that?
>> Well, the thing
about make-up,
if you think about toothbrushes.
You know, people don't share
toothbrushes very often,
do they?
>> Asha: No.
>> But in a way, make-up is
exactly the same because we've
got sensitive areas and those
areas include the eyes and the
lips and sometimes the
skin if it's broken.
So I always liken it to
a toothbrush, saying,
well, if you don't
share your toothbrush,
why would you go in there and
put the make-up on when you know
God knows how many people have
been there before you?
>> Asha: He says the testers
could have pathogens causing
skin infections and
other serious health issues.
Do you think we'll find any
of that in these samples?
>> Yes, I would put
my mortgage on it.
>> Asha: While we
wait for the results...
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We're getting the
inside scoop on what's really
going on behind the counter.
Vanessa used to work at
Mac and Sephora and Brianne,
she worked at
Shoppers Drug Mart.
>> When I worked there
in the beauty boutique,
I didn't clean a tester once.
The only cleaning we were
doing was say like sweeping,
cleaning the -- like washing the
windows where the perfume is,
not actually the make-up itself.
>> Asha: Vanessa says Sephora
and Mac train their employees to
keep the testers clean.
But in practice...
>> At Sephora, it's a lot
more difficult because of the
magnitude of how many different
types of brands that they carry.
It's wild, and then a
lot of people do come in,
I feel, like just to kind
of do their whole face.
And so you can't really watch
them the whole time and maybe
you try to clean your brushes
or try to clean or sanitize
whatever products
they're using at the time.
It's just really
hard to keep on it.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: Back at the lab,
time for the dirty truth.
>> I was really surprised how
much contamination there
was out there.
It's even more
worrying than I thought.
>> Asha: 60 samples
from four retailers.
What did you find?
>> So what we found is a lot of
the samples had staphylococcus
aureus in and a fair
number had mould in.
>> Asha: Yikes.
And when we break it
down by retailer.
Let's see what you
found at Sephora.
>> Okay.
So, at Sephora we've
got a nice collection of
staphylococcus here.
Now, you'll notice here there's
a mixture of white and yellow.
The actual yellow ones are true
staph aureus which are the nasty
ones, these are the ones that
can cause all kinds of issues in
terms of styes, pink
eye, and things like that.
>> Asha: Turns out, 8 out of the
15 samples from Sephora tested
positive for staph,
five for yeast or mould.
The Shoppers samples.
What did you find there?
>> We found a nice
arrangement of staphylococcus.
This is a lipstick.
Not only do we
get staphylococcus,
we also got these yeasts and
moulds and these can cause
issues especially in terms of if
you're immunocompromised so not
unusual to find them because
they are residents on
our microflora but, as I say,
when you put on your lipstick,
I guess you're not--
you're not thinking about
putting this on.
>> Asha: 6 out of the 15 samples
from Shoppers Drug Mart have
staph, 4 have mould.
Are you ready to
hear the results?
>> I'm kind of nervous.
I guess, yeah.
>> Asha: This is mould at a
Shoppers Drug Mart from
a cream blush tester.
>> Oh, my goodness,
that's so gross.
>> Oh, my gosh.
That's terrible.
That is--
That is unspeakably terrible.
>> Asha: This is staph
from a Sephora mascara.
>> I don't even know
what to say right now.
It's been years that I've
been doing this and I just
find out about it.
Unbelievable.
>> Asha: Let's talk
about The Body Shop samples.
>> This is from a mascara.
You can see the yellow colonies
which is a staph aureus which
can cause issues.
>> Asha: Warriner finds
almost half of the samples
at The Body Shop, 7 out of
15, contain staph.
Four have yeast or mould.
And what about the
make-up from Mac?
Three out of the 15 samples have
staph or have yeast or mould.
And, get this?
>> So, this is from an
eyeshadow, what's interesting
about this sample which
differentiates from others is
the arrangement of how many
different moulds there are.
You see this one in the centre,
which is black, that looks like
the sort of mould you would
get in a bathroom.
>> Asha: It looks dangerous.
>> Well, it could be.
It's -- I think
it's aspergillus,
and the thing about aspergillus
is it produces mycotoxins and
can also cause a condition
called farmer's lung.
Fortunately with
moulds and yeast,
they're usually not a
problem unless you're
really susceptible.
>> Asha: At every retailer,
we found both staph and mould.
>> A problem.
>> Asha: Why?
>> Well, it's a problem
because, you know,
you would expect that if you're
going to try something on,
that it is infection-free, that
there is no evidence of either
bacteria or mould or
virus in that product.
>> Asha: Dermatologist Dr Lisa
Kellett says the bacteria we
find could make people sick.
>> One of the signs
of infection would be,
first of all,
increasing redness in the area,
tenderness,
you can get blisters,
and sometimes when it becomes
systemic you can develop a fever
with it as well.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Kind of disappointed because
we trust their products and we
trust that they're
clean, no bacteria,
safe to use, but
unfortunately --
>> You're changing our
retail experience from this
moment forward.
>> I think that's disgusting
and make-up industries
should be more aware of that.
And should take
it more seriously,
especially if they're trying
to sell a product to people.
>> Asha: The dirty truth
about make-up continues.
>> Asha: But can
alcohol kill all those germs?
>> Asha: This is
your Marketplace.
>> Asha: The dirty truth about
make-up on your Marketplace.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We're testing
the testers at some
mega-make-up stores.
Our results
reveal risky bacteria.
Everything from staph
to yeast and mould.
>> That is not okay.
>> Asha: Industry
insiders, Brianne and Vanessa,
say the mouldy
make-up isn't a surprise.
>> Cleaning
testers is expensive,
so let's just say you've had a
blush that's been out there for
three years or four years.
>> Asha: Yep, up to four years.
>> So think about a blush just
being there and maybe not being
used very much and so everyone
just kind of wipes it down every
now and again and, sure,
maybe the top layer is sanitary
but you don't know how long
it's been there.
>> Asha: Back on hidden camera,
staff reassure us there's a
clean fix.
>> Asha: Really?
Time for another lab test.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We taken an alcohol
spray, the same one used by
big chains, and ask Warriner
to test whether it kills all
the bacteria.
>> What we found, though,
it reduces the numbers of
staphylococcus aureus by
about 90% or 92% specifically.
>> Asha: Sounds decent.
>> It certainly does.
>> 92%, but when we
look at sanitizers,
typically, we're looking
for a 99.999%
reduction so the conclusion
is that using the spray,
you're basically just
reducing the risk,
you're not eliminating the risk.
So is it better
than doing nothing?
Certainly is.
Is it a magic wand?
No, it's not.
>> Asha: Time to come
clean with shoppers.
A microbiologist, the one
that tested all our samples also
tested whether alcohol
kills the bacteria off.
It does kill some
of it but not all.
>> I don't think I'm going to
try any make-up testers
any time soon.
>> I often try on
lipsticks, right.
So, what they do is that they
spray the alcohol on it to clean
it and I'm there thinking, like,
okay, once they do that,
everything is
clean, it's safe to use.
I'm going to try it out.
But now that I'm here, I'm
realizing that that's not true,
it's not 100% safe.
Like I got bacteria on my lips.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: We share our findings
with the retailers we visited.
They all suggest customers
should consult with staff before
trying on any tester.
They also say they have
robust hygiene practices.
Testers are regularly sanitized.
And The Body Shop adds they will
be revisiting their programs as
a result.
But this former cosmetician says
it's not just the responsibility
of the retailer, it's also
a case of trier beware.
>> What I would do is if I'm
going to see something in-store
always on the hands-only,
I don't go anywhere near my
face and then I'm always wiping
off my hands in between
each application.
>> Asha: Warriner agrees.
>> I would be very reserved to
recommend anyone to put mascara
on, eyeshadow or
lipstick, even blush in a store.
So even though you
like a free make-up,
sometimes it's
not worth the risk,
is it?
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> Asha: Sentiments
these shoppers share.
What are you going to do
differently the next time you go
into a make-up store?
>> I'm not trying anything on.
[ Laughter ]
>> I swear.
>> Now what I found
out today, like no.
Heck, no.
No.
Not the testers.
I'll probably just buy the
product instead because
it's safer.
>> Asha: So, knowing what you
know, you're going to do
things differently.
>> 100%, yes.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
>> David: Ever wonder what
happens when your email lands
in our in-box?
>> Oh, hi, I'm calling
from Marketplace.
>> She thinks it's an
accident waiting to happen.
>> Asha: When you hit send,
it sends us into action.
>> David: You count on
us and we count on you.
And together, create change.
>> So help us decide
what to investigate next.
>> Asha: Because this is
your Marketplace.
[ ♪♪♪ ]
