Consumer group claims asbestos in Claire’s makeup

A consumer group claims that independent lab tests confirm that some makeup products found for sale at the Claire’s retail chain are contaminated with asbestos. However, the chain maintains that “that all of our products are safe and asbestos-free.”Tuesday morning, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund released a report stating that it had the laboratory test 15 kids’ and adults’ makeup products sold at the store. The testing was in response to an incident in December, when Claire’s recalled nine makeup products, after a North Carolina-based lab showed the makeup tested positive for asbestos. Claire’s later released a statement that, according to its internal testing, it did not find any asbestos in its products.However, the PIRG lab found that three Claire’s makeup products contained asbestos — Claire’s Contour Palette, which tested for 84,746 fibers of asbestos per gram of product; Claire’s Shadow and Highlight Finishing Kit, which tested for 61,538 fibers of asbestos per gram of product; and Claire’s Compact Powder, which tested for 153,846 fibers of asbestos per gram of product.The group claimed it alerted Claire’s to these test results more than a week ago and asked the company to recall these items immediately and to inform customers.Claire’s, however, put out a statement saying that it “categorically denies that the testing by STAT, (the laboratory) relied upon by PIRG, is accurate. The test methods that were used by STAT are obsolete and unreliable, and STAT is not certified to perform the type of testing necessary for talc-based products. In contrast, Claire’s has conducted extensive testing and investigation in cooperation with relevant authorities, including the FDA, Health Canada, and a number of EU enforcement agencies, to demonstrate that Claire’s products are asbestos-free and comply with all relevant safety regulations. Indeed, testing by an independent laboratory of fifteen samples confirms that the products tested by STAT are asbestos-free.”But the PIRG Education Fund maintains that it has safety concerns about the products.“Parents should be able to trust that the makeup they buy for their kids is safe,” said Dev Gowda, director of PIRG’s Toxic-Free Products Campaign in a news release. “Claire’s should immediately recall the three makeup products and investigate how such high levels of asbestos were found in these products.”According to PIRG, asbestos can occur naturally in talc, and talc is commonly added to cosmetics. Sparkly, shimmery and powdery makeup often contains talc as a major ingredient. Inhaling or ingesting any form of asbestos can lead to serious health conditions, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Repeated topical exposure to asbestos may also result in increased skin cancer risk.

Tuesday morning, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund released a report stating that it had the laboratory test 15 kids’ and adults’ makeup products sold at the store. The testing was in response to an incident in December, when Claire’s recalled nine makeup products, after a North Carolina-based lab showed the makeup tested positive for asbestos. Claire’s later released a statement that, according to its internal testing, it did not find any asbestos in its products.

However, the PIRG lab found that three Claire’s makeup products contained asbestos — Claire’s Contour Palette, which tested for 84,746 fibers of asbestos per gram of product; Claire’s Shadow and Highlight Finishing Kit, which tested for 61,538 fibers of asbestos per gram of product; and Claire’s Compact Powder, which tested for 153,846 fibers of asbestos per gram of product.

The group claimed it alerted Claire’s to these test results more than a week ago and asked the company to recall these items immediately and to inform customers.

Claire’s, however, put out a statement saying that it “categorically denies that the testing by STAT, (the laboratory) relied upon by PIRG, is accurate. The test methods that were used by STAT are obsolete and unreliable, and STAT is not certified to perform the type of testing necessary for talc-based products. In contrast, Claire’s has conducted extensive testing and investigation in cooperation with relevant authorities, including the FDA, Health Canada, and a number of EU enforcement agencies, to demonstrate that Claire’s products are asbestos-free and comply with all relevant safety regulations. Indeed, testing by an independent laboratory of fifteen samples confirms that the products tested by STAT are asbestos-free.”

But the PIRG Education Fund maintains that it has safety concerns about the products.

“Parents should be able to trust that the makeup they buy for their kids is safe,” said Dev Gowda, director of PIRG’s Toxic-Free Products Campaign in a news release. “Claire’s should immediately recall the three makeup products and investigate how such high levels of asbestos were found in these products.”

According to PIRG, asbestos can occur naturally in talc, and talc is commonly added to cosmetics. Sparkly, shimmery and powdery makeup often contains talc as a major ingredient. Inhaling or ingesting any form of asbestos can lead to serious health conditions, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Repeated topical exposure to asbestos may also result in increased skin cancer risk.

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