Here is some bad news for parents who shop at Claire’s: Yet again the national chain is coming under public scrutiny due to harmful chemicals in their beauty products.
Last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers that a JoJo Siwa makeup kit (SKU #888711136337, Batch/Lot No. S180109) sold by Claire’s tested positive for asbestos. The Jojo Siwa kit includes lip glosses, eyeshadow and a tube of nail polish.
Exposure to asbestos can be fatal over time, as this dangerous substance can lead to lung inflammation, scarring and a condition called asbestosis. This chronic lung disease causes shortness of breath and a high risk of mesothelioma, a form of cancer that can attack the lining of the lungs, stomach and heart.
In other words, asbestos is a very dangerous toxin, not a substance you want your kids breathing in or applying to their bodies.
“Any type of asbestos exposure is dangerous, but exposure from talc-based powder makeup products are especially dangerous because of the way these products are used. Unintentionally inhaling or ingesting dust created from these products may lead to asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma decades later,” Karen Selby, a registered nurse at The Mesothelioma Center, told Don’t Waste Your Money.
“Children are at a higher risk of developing these diseases than adults because their respiratory systems are still developing. Children also breathe at a faster rate, which means they can inhale more microscopic asbestos fibers with every breath,” she said. “Using these products regularly, such as applying powder or eyeshadow every day, increases the risk. The best way for parents to protect their children from asbestos exposure in makeup is to buy products that are talc-free.”
Claire’s is currently defending the presence of asbestos in their children’s makeup kits, saying that these “trace” amounts are not considered dangerous.
“Claire’s stands behind the safety of this item and all other Claire’s cosmetic items, as such small trace amounts are considered acceptable under European and Canadian cosmetic safety regulations,” Melanie Berry, Claire’s spokesperson and senior vice president of marketing, wrote in a public statement about the FDA’s findings.
In an email to The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com, Claire’s acknowledged the possible existence of asbestos in this makeup kit marketed to little girls, saying that testing by the FDA “indicated the possible presence of trace amounts of asbestos fibers in the powder eyeshadow element of the kit.”
Clarie’s voluntarily removed the products from their shelves and issued a recall under what they described as an “abundance of caution.”
This is not the first time that Claire’s makeup kits, which are geared towards young girls, have been discovered to contain asbestos. In December 2017, nine makeup kits were recalled due to potential asbestos contamination, and in March, the FDA confirmed that several of these items did contain asbestos. As a result, the FDA urged consumers to throw out these products.
If you purchased a JoJo Siwa makeup kit, you can receive a refund at your local Claire’s.
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