Claire’s Stores, Inc. is announcing its voluntary recall of several cosmetic products after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that the said products might be contaminated with asbestos. What are the products included in the recall, and what can be done to already-purchased products?

Cosmetics Recall

On March 12, Claire’s Stores, Inc. announced that it is conducting a voluntary recall of three cosmetics products out of an “abundance of caution.” In a statement, the company said that testing by the FDA revealed the possible presence of asbestos on their cosmetic products, specifically Claire's Eyeshadows, UPC #888711847165, SKU #84716, Lot No. 08/17; Claire's Compact Powder, UPC #888711839153, SKU #83915, Lot No. 07/15; and Claire's Contour Palette, UPC #888711401947, SKU #40194, Lot No. 04/17. The testing was done following reports of contaminated cosmetic products from Claire’s.

The affected products were sold online and in their stores nationwide from October 2016 to March 2019. As such, while the products have already been removed from the stores, it’s possible that some people may still have them in their homes.

Contaminated Cosmetics

Anyone who have the said products must immediately stop using them and return them to a Claire’s store for a full refund. So far, there are no reports of any adverse reaction from the products, but inhalation of asbestos over time has been linked to serious health consequences.

“Claire’s understands many parents trust and expect us to hold the cosmetics purchased by and for their children to the highest possible safety standards. In the last year, Claire’s switched to talc-free manufacturing for all its cosmetics,” Claire’s noted.

Asbestos

Asbestos is a natural mineral that is typically found near talc. It is a carcinogen with well-documented adverse health impacts, and improper talc mining may lead to the talc products that are often used in cosmetics to be contaminated with asbestos.