Dispute Continues over Asbestos in Teen Make-up Products
The non-profit U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) has stirred up the “asbestos in make-up” discussion again, a few months after a consumer watchdog group claimed they found asbestos particles in talc-based make-up marketed to teens and tweens at Claire’s retail stores throughout the county.
PIRG claims to have conducted further testing on 15 items total from different retailers, and announced that they found asbestos in three of four Claire’s products, even weeks after the company pulled products from the shelves after hordes of consumer complaints sparked by the initial announcement.
The group claims the products contained “high levels of asbestos”, found in tests performed at what they described as an “accredited laboratory”.
In a story aired by CBS News, Claire’s said they “categorically deny” the test results and referred to the laboratory’s testing methods as “obsolete and unreliable”. Since the initial reports, Claire’s notes that they have also conducted extensive testing and have proclaimed “that Claire’s products are asbestos-free and comply with all relevant safety regulations.”
“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,” said a Claire’s spokesperson, noting that their testing has shown no asbestos contamination from the start.
In the meantime, PIRG has announced that they will further elaborate on their test results in an upcoming interview with CBS, scheduled to occur later this week.
Unfortunately, talc and asbestos often go hand in hand. Johnson & Johnson and other companies that make talcum powders know that fact all too well.
They’ve been hit with dozens of lawsuits filed by consumers who’ve developed either mesothelioma cancer or ovarian cancer due to exposure to asbestos-tainted talc.
J&J has already been ordered to pay millions to a few different plaintiffs, with juries determining the company knew their products were contaminated with asbestos particles yet continued to manufacture and market them.
Will Claire’s and other make-up retailers be the next J&J?