The FDA has issued a warning to consumers using three of Claire’s brand cosmetic products after the agency found the products to contain asbestos. The company’s Eye Shadows, Contour Palette and Compact Powder all tested positive for tremolite asbestos.
Claire’s claims that the results contain significant errors.
A Justice product, which was previously recalled in 2017 after testing positive for asbestos, was also found to contain asbestos. All three of the Claire’s products are not currently for sale, but consumers that have previously purchased the products should stop using them.
Claire’s, a brand very popular among teens and kids, has removed talc-based products and all three of the contaminated products from store shelves. The company has refused to recall the three products.
Claire’s claims that “customer safety is paramount,” and reaffirms that their products are safe for consumers to use. Claire’s claims that the FDA has made errors in their testing, mischaracterizing certain product fibers as asbestos, and is not properly following the guidelines set by the EPA and USP.
The company claims to have brought their concerns up with the FDA, yet the FDA continued with their release. Claire’s plans to work with the FDA to demonstrate that the brand’s products are safe.
Claire’s has been accused of having asbestos in their products in the past. Most recently in 2017, the company took nine products off of their shelves because tremolite asbestos was found in them.
FDA officials do not have the authority to make the company recall their products. Instead, the FDA recommends that all providers that may have problems with cosmetic-related products to report their products to the FDA’s MedWatch system. A warning not to use the product is the highest authority that the FDA has to stop consumers from using potentially harmful products.
The FDA also announced that they will work with manufacturers, requesting information on their procedures used to ensure cosmetic safety.
