Category: News

Popular tween store Claire’s has once again been found creating products for children that contain asbestos. The store first came under fire in 2017, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the presence of the toxin in three Claire’s products, as well as several products from Justice, another tween and children’s store. At the time, Claire’s pulled the products from the shelves, but denied all reports that asbestos had been found in their makeup. In a company statement, they reasoned, “All our powder-based cosmetics use the same base formulation, utilizing Merck certified asbestos-free talc, which is the same talc used in other well-known cosmetic brands.”

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced this week that the 2017 reports of Claire’s and Justice makeup containing asbestos particles have been confirmed. The presence of these particles in products, targeted to young children and teens, is concerning as asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma cancer and other asbestos-related diseases, including asbestosis and asbestos lung cancer.

Earlier this month, testing for asbestos at McGill Hall at the University of Montana raised concerns about the safety of students, particularly preschoolers who actively attended school in these classrooms. Abatement specialists found concerning levels of asbestos, well above the recommended limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to law, permissible amounts of asbestos should not exceed 5,000 fibers per square centimeter. After swiping a table in one of the classrooms, which had been used and cleaned regularly, specialists found over 15,000 fibers per square centimeter. Other areas of the classrooms contained even higher concentrations of asbestos.