Shein was already in the spotlight for its low-cost fast-fashion model, its environmental impacts, and ongoing accusations about working conditions in its supply chain. The controversy has now reached a new level: that of chemical toxicity directly in contact with consumers' skin.
A report recently published by Greenpeace Germany examined 56 garments purchased on the platform, including children's items. According to the NGO's findings, nearly a third of these products contain hazardous chemicals at levels exceeding those set by the European REACH regulation, the framework governing chemical use in the Union. Some items exceed the permissible thresholds not by a few percent, but sometimes by a hundred times or more.
Several classes of substances are at the center of this alert. Firstly, phthalates, used as plasticizers to soften certain materials, are found in prints, soles, or accessories. Some tested samples show concentrations well above European limits, with exceedances on the order of a hundred times the norm for certain products. These compounds are classified as endocrine disruptors, capable of affecting fertility, child development, and hormonal balance.
Another source of concern is PFAS, those 'forever chemicals' used to make jackets or coats water-repellent. Greenpeace describes jackets whose contents exceed the permitted levels by thousands of times. These extremely persistent substances do not degrade in the environment and accumulate in the body, with suspected links to certain cancers, immune disorders, or thyroid conditions.
To this, heavy metals like cadmium or antimony are added, detected in shoes or textiles. Cadmium is recognized as carcinogenic and toxic to the kidneys, while antimony is suspected of causing long-term health effects. In several cases, the measured levels exceed the limit values set to protect consumers, especially for products that are manipulated or worn daily.
The concerns raised by Shein are not isolated. A Nordic coordinated study showed that more than 70% of the products tested on platforms like Shein and Temu do not comply with European legislation on chemical substances. In Belgium, a consumer association's investigation came to a similar conclusion: nearly seven out of ten items purchased on these marketplaces would be 'illegal' according to safety rules, whether toys, accessories, or textile products.
In light of this situation, several national and European authorities are raising their voices. France has already placed the platform under intense scrutiny in connection with another matter concerning illegal products sold on its marketplace (pedocriminal dolls, banned weapons, non-compliant cosmetics). Beyond the penal aspect, this case has highlighted the larger question of controlling what actually arrives in packages delivered to European consumers.
In Brussels, the issue of hazardous substances in fast fashion has become a political topic. European officials express being 'shocked' by the toxicity of certain cheaply sold products. The Union is discussing enhanced customs controls, better cooperation between national market surveillance authorities, and above all, stricter enforcement of the Digital Services Act and existing chemical regulations. The stakes are twofold: to enforce existing laws and to prevent platforms based outside Europe from systematically circumventing the standards.
Shein, for its part, defends itself. The company highlights millions of compliance tests conducted each year with third-party laboratories and claims to remove non-compliant products as soon as they are reported. It argues that the examples highlighted by NGOs do not reflect the entirety of its catalog and that it is strengthening its control procedures as regulations evolve.
But for NGOs and some regulators, these guarantees are no longer sufficient. The combination of extremely low prices, constant renewal of collections, and gigantic volumes makes it very difficult to conduct case-by-case checks. As long as the business model relies on the massive posting of new products every day, the likelihood of hazardous items circulating remains high. And when these clothes are worn by children, the margin for error becomes almost nonexistent.
Beyond the case of Shein, the entire ultra-fast-fashion model is being questioned. Clothing no longer poses just issues of sustainability, pollution, or social manufacturing conditions; they become a source of daily exposure to chemical cocktails whose long-term effects are not yet fully understood. Between a t-shirt bought for a few euros, worn against the skin, and a cocktail of toxic substances absorbed over time, the line is finer than it seems.
For consumers, the situation presents a difficult choice: continue to enjoy very cheap clothing while turning a blind eye to the risks, or accept to pay more for better-regulated and more sustainable products. For public authorities, it is a decisive test: are they capable of effectively protecting citizens' health against globalized platforms that refresh their stocks faster than the law can apply?
The current scandal surrounding Shein thus acts as a revealing factor. It shows that the issue of cheap fashion is no longer played solely in the sewing workshops or on carbon balances, but also, very concretely, on the skin of those who wear these clothes.
