Fake fragrances aren’t such a good deal after all. Street vendors, flea markets, unscrupulous online merchants and others, tout bargains but they often come with a big price to your health and safety. Faux fragrance investigations by Harper’s Bazaar reveal you’re often getting much more than you bargained for–contents may include urine, harmful bacteria, antifreeze, contaminated alcohol, and other hazardous substances. 

Bad reactions range from a runny nose to welts, redness, eczema and other problems from applying such harmful ingredients to skin. But trouble can be more than skin deep. Skin is your body’s largest organ and such toxic ingredients are also being absorbed into your body.

Marketing fake fragrances has become a burgeoning industry, estimated to be about $6.7 million in 2008, an increase of 459% since 2007.

Buyer beware! If it smells like a deal, you might just be exposing yourself to risk which comes with a price tag to your health, and that’s a rotten deal.