The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about using certain makeup products sold by Claire’s over concerns they may be contaminated with asbestos.
On Tuesday, the FDA issued a safety alert after the cosmetics chain refused to issue a voluntary recall in response to independent testing results that found traces of asbestos within three products.
In a statement, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the agency does not have the power to require a recall. “The FDA is therefore warning consumers not to use these products,” Gottlieb said.
Asbestos is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a carcinogen. Exposure to asbestos fibers has been linked to mesothelioma and lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Samples of the following products had positive tests for the presence of tremolite asbestos, according to the FDA alert:
- Claire’s Eye Shadows – Batch No/Lot No: 08/17
- Claire’s Compact Powder – Batch No/Lot No: 07/15
- Claire’s Contour Palette – Batch No/Lot No: 04/17
The alert comes 14 months after Claire's pulled products from store shelves after a report by Rhode Island's WJAR-TV into a couple's claims that their daughter's makeup tested positive for asbestos.
At the time, the retailer said it was hiring an independent laboratory to perform its own round of tests on the products in question. It also stopped selling those products and issued refunds to customers.
To learn more the latest safety alert, visit the FDA's recalls and alerts webpage.