Claire’s Pulls Makeup After 6-Year-Old’s Kit Tests Positive For Asbestos

The retailer has pulled items off shelves after asbestos was allegedly found in their makeup

Like many moms hoping to save their own makeup supply from curious little hands, Kristi Warner bought her six-year-old daughter Mackenzie a makeup kit from Claire’s at Providence Place Mall in Rhode Island. But Warner started to wonder exactly what was in the makeup her daughter was playing with. So she sent the kit off to an independent lab to be tested.

When the results came back she was shocked. Warner claims her daughter’s makeup kit tested positive for asbestos. “I physically sank,” Warner told WJAR. “I ended up sitting on the ground, just trying to wrap my head around how something like that could end up in our home.” Her daughter was just as upset. “Her response was, ‘Am I going to die?'” Warner said. “There’s no right answer to that because I don’t want to lie to her.”

Hoping that the test might have been a fluke or worried that more kids might be at risk, Warner and her boss John Deaton bought 17 more Claire’s makeup products from nine states and tested them all. They claim every single one came back positive for asbestos.

In case you also zone out whenever Jonathan and Drew talk about asbestos on Property Brothers, here’s a crash course. Asbestos is a mineral that used to be very popular in building materials because it’s resistant to chemicals, heat, fire and electricity. But asbestos has tiny fibers that separate easily when you touch it, which makes it really easy to breathe it in. Although it’s a natural mineral, breathing in asbestos is dangerous because over time the fibers can build up in your lungs and create all kinds of serious health issues. According to the National Cancer Institute, breathing in asbestos fibers over long periods of time increases the risk for diseases like lung cancer and mesothelioma.

This isn’t the first time makeup geared towards children has turned out to contain some pretty horrifying ingredients. Justice, the store your tween loves to drag you into, pulled their “Just Shine Shimmer Powder” from shelves this summer after concerns surfaced that it may contain asbestos.

Claire’s is taking Warner’s concerns very seriously. The company issued a statement saying they’re pulling the items in question off shelves while they conduct their own investigation with an independent lab. “As 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,” the statement says.

Obviously the thought of your child having dangerous makeup is no fun for any parent, so it’s completely understandable if you’re not willing to wait for the conclusion of Claire’s investigation to get this stuff out of your house. Claire’s says it’s offering a full refund on the impacted items.

Per Claire’s, here are the items that have been pulled from shelves for possibly containing asbestos.

Pink Glitter Palette with Eyeshadow & Lip Gloss

Mint Glitter Make Up Set

Rainbow Glitter Heart Shaped Makeup Set

Metallic Hot Pink Glitter 48 Piece Makeup Set

Rainbow Bedazzled Rectangle Make Up Set

Ultimate Mega Make Up Set

Pink Glitter Cellphone Makeup Compact

Rainbow Bedazzled Star Make Up Set

UPDATE from Claire’s 1/30/18:

“We are pleased to report that test results received to date from two certified independent labs confirm that the products in question are asbestos free, completely safe and meet all government requirements. As we said previously, we also confirmed that the talc ingredient that is used in the cosmetics was sourced from Merck KGaA and is asbestos free. Any report that suggests that the products are not safe is totally false. “