Jewelry and accessories store Claire’s was forced to pull 17 of its make-up products off the shelves after a glitter set tested positive for asbestos.
The disturbing result was found after Barrington, Rhode Island, mother Kristi Warner sent the make-up she had purchased for her six-year-old daughter to an independent lab to be tested.
The make-up was bought at the Providence Place Mall, but the investigation has indicated that this is a nationwide issue.
Off the shelves: Claire’s has removed 17 children’s make-up products from stores after they tested positive for asbestos
Bad news: The results came from an independent lab that had been sent the products by a concerned Rhode Island mother
Warner, crediting her investigative nature to her work with a law firm, told NBC news station WJAR that she ‘physically sank’ when she got the call about the test results.
‘I ended up sitting on the ground, just trying to wrap my head around how something like that could end up in our home,’ she said.
After receiving the news, Warner and her boss John Deaton then decided to purchase other products from Claire’s at various locations, sending them all in for their own tests.
Every single one of the 17 products purchased from nine different states was found to contain tremolite asbestos by the Scientific Analytical Institute.
Asbestos is a toxic substance which can cause malignant mesothelioma decades after exposure, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The independent laboratory and its director, Sean Fitzgerald, were previously in the news earlier this year when they claimed to have discovered asbestos in Justice make-up products.
Top to bottom: The make-up products being pulled from sale include glitter sets, eye shadow and lip gloss
Quick response: Upon learning the news, the brand immediately pulled the products, promising to conduct its own investigation
Justice went on to conduct its own investigation and said there was no such substance in the products, leading to accusations of inaccuracy leveled at the lab.
Although this previous investigation has led to questions around the lab’s tests, Claire’s has pulled the products as the brand undertakes its own investigation.
The brand took to Facebook to make the announcement on Friday, writing: ‘At Claire’s the safety of our customers is of paramount importance, and we are passionate about the safety and integrity of our products.’
The statement continued: ‘We work closely with our vendors to ensure our products are tested and assessed in line with the relevant country regulations and guidelinesAs a result of today’s inquiry from WJAR-TV, we have taken the precautionary measure of pulling the items in question from sale, and will be conducting an immediate investigation into the alleged issues.
‘Once we have more information and have the results of the investigation we will take the necessary action.’
The company has listed the affected products on its website, with items such as eye shadow, lip gloss and glitter sets among them.