Colorado consumer group finds asbestos in Claire’s makeup products

A consumer group in Colorado says several makeup products from Claire’s returned positive tests for asbestos, even though the retailer said it found no trace of asbestos following a brief recall earlier this year.

CoPIRG sent four products from Claire’s to STAT Analysis Corporation to be tested for asbestos, and three of them contained asbestos.

According to CoPIRG, researchers found the following: Claire’s Contour Palette had 84,746 fibers per gram of asbestos; Claire’s Shadow and Highlight Finishing Kit had 61,538 fibers per gram of asbestos; and Claire’s Compact Powder had 153,846 fibers per gram of asbestos.

Back in late December, the company pulled several of its products after news reports surfaced that the makeup products contained asbestos. After about a week, Claire’s said its makeup products tested to be free of asbestos.

But there’s a battle happening between the Colorado Public Interest Research Group and Claire’s Stores Inc. The retailer issued a statement saying the testing was inaccurate and outdated.

“Claire’s categorically denies that the testing by STAT, relied upon by PIRG, is accurate. The test methods that were used by STAT are obsolete and unreliable, and STAT is not certified to perform the type of testing necessary for talc-based products. In contrast, Claire’s has conducted extensive testing and investigation in cooperation with relevant authorities, including the FDA, Health Canada, and a number of EU enforcement agencies, to demonstrate that Claire’s products are asbestos-free and comply with all relevant safety regulations,” Claire’s said in a statement.

The CoPIRG countered that statement Tuesday and said the lab used multiple testing methods and re-tested the results. CoPIRG says STAT Analysis has the same certification as the FDA’s lab for testing asbestos.

CoPIRG is calling on Claire’s to issue recalls and change the way its makeup is made. No announcement of a recall has been made at this time.