Tejal Somvanshi
Testing labs have found toxic chemicals in specific Temu products, including sandals and children’s items. The chemicals found aren’t just slightly over the limit – they’re multiple times higher than what’s considered safe.
Take shoes, for example. One pair of Temu sandals had lead levels 11 times above what’s allowed. Lead can get into your body just by touching your skin. Even a small amount can damage your organs.
The tests found other harmful chemicals too. One type, called phthalates, makes plastic soft and flexible. But these chemicals can mix up your body’s hormones and might cause cancer. Another chemical, formaldehyde, can make your skin itchy and irritated.
“The presence of these chemicals in clothing is alarming and requires immediate action to protect consumers and the environment,” says Miriam Diamond, an environmental chemist from the University of Toronto.
Testing across multiple fast fashion retailers revealed:
- Some shoes from Shein had 428 times the safe amount of phthalates
- Nail polish had 3 times too much dioxane, which can hurt your liver
- Nail polish caps had twice the allowed amount of formaldehyde
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Temu has taken some products off its website after learning about these problems. “We need to boycott fast fashion and demand safer products from retailers,” says advocacy group Common Hours.
The European Union is now watching Temu more closely. Since July 2024, they’ve put special rules on the company to protect shoppers.
What can you do to stay safe? Always wash new clothes before wearing them. If something has unusual odours, avoid using it. The cheap price tag might seem good at first, but it’s not worth risking your health.
These problems exist across fast fashion. When companies make products extremely cheap, they might need to cut costs somewhere. When prices seem too good to be true, it’s worth asking why they’re so low.
