The Anglesey-based cosmetics brand was promoting the Botox treatment
A Gwynedd woman, who claimed to be a nurse practitioner, was advertising her Botox treatment but was injecting clients with an unlicensed alternative.
At Caernarfon Crown Court yesterday, Carol Ann Edwards, 38, from Bethesda, was given a 12-month community order, 15 days’ rehabilitation and ordered to pay a £500 fine plus £1,000 compensation.
At a previous hearing on January 12, 2026, she had pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation.
The Court heard how two complainants had seen an advertisement on social media. booked and paid for her Botox treatment with Edwards, trading as ‘5 Star Aesthetics’ based in Anglesey.
They complained that the treatment was not having the desired effect and despite the fact that they were eventually offered additional sessions, both struggled to get a response from her. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter delivered twice daily to your inbox
Botox is a trademarked and registered drug that must be prescribed after proper consultation.
Anglesey Council said: “However, Ms Edwards was not using Botox as advertised, but an unlicensed inferior alternative, called Fraxin, which may have similar effects but is not licensed for use in the UK.”
Anglesey Trading Standards received a number of complaints from customers in relation to remedies and the business owner’s failure to respond to them between April and October 2023.
Due to the nature of the treatment and equipment involved, the complaints do not fall under the remit of the local Environmental Health licensing regime, as the provision of non-surgical cosmetic procedures is not currently regulated.
Trading Standards officers contacted Ms Edwards about trading practices and poor customer service. During discussions Ms Edwards informed officers that the substance she had used was not in fact ‘Botox’ but an alternative called ‘Fraxin’.
Ms. Edwards failed to recognize any problem with her actions. She also told officers she was a trainee nurse in the final year of her qualification. This was later found to be untrue.
Sentencing Judge Timothy Petts summarized that the two customers thought they were getting Botox and would not have agreed if they had known it was an unlicensed alternative to Fraxin with unknown side effects. Although the amount of monetary loss was relatively low, the potential for harm was much greater. Things could have gone very wrong.
He also added that the pre-sentence report had identified mental health difficulties resulting in poor judgment as opposed to intent to harm. and that the compensation awarded was higher than just the cost of treatment to reflect the additional strain on the victims.
Anglesey’s Public Protection portfolio holder, Cllr Nicola Roberts, said: “This was financial gain and unfair competitive advantage by replacing a high quality drug with a cheaper unlicensed alternative. Fortunately, the victims suffered no adverse side effects. The deliberate misinformation given to customers, who thought they had received serious medical treatment, did not require any emergency medical treatment.”
Anglesey trading standards officer Emma Jones warned residents to be cautious when considering non-surgical cosmetic treatments. He added: “Although they may initially appear to be lower risks than surgical alternatives, unregulated cosmetic treatments do not require qualifications, licensing or adherence to any codes of professional conduct.”
“In Wales, compulsory licensing for special procedures only applies to acupuncture, body piercing, electrolysis and tattooing. Therefore, all other non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including Botox and dermal fillers, continue to be unregulated.”
Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories straight to your phone
