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Illegal health and beauty products pose safety risk

As regulators struggle to get a handle on the massive flow of health and beauty products streaming onto store shelves, an Investigative Journalism Bureau/Toronto Star investigation found more than 100 products that Health Canada officials confirmed have not been approved for sale or assessed for safety.

A handful, including eye drops, headache medication, hemorrhoid ointment and kids canker sore patches, were for sale despite having ingredients that require a prescription from a doctor and oversight from a pharmacist at the point of sale.

While not all of the products identified by reporters may be dangerous to consumers, they reveal a federal regulatory system overwhelmed by highly popular health and beauty products that have not met federal regulations.

None of these eye products has been approved for sale by Health Canada but were available at Kiokii And…, a chain that is rapidly expanding throughout the GTA. The store vowed to stop selling unauthorized products. Richard Lautens / Toronto Star

These dangerous health products were supposed to be pulled from shelves. A popular Ontario retailer sold them to us anyway

Reporters found popular stores offering dozens of products that Health Canada has not approved for sale. Retailers vowed to comply with regulations.

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