Asbestos has been discovered in makeup sold at tween retailer Justice
Uh oh, everyone, run to your wherever you keep your makeup and try to remember where you bought it. According to a recent investigation, asbestos was found in makeup sold at Justice, the popular tween retailer. And it’s a pretty big deal. According to researchers at the Scientific Analytical Institute in Greensboro, North Carolina, the Just Shine Shimmer Powder didn’t pass the asbestos test.
Sean Fitzgerald, the lab’s director of research and analytical services, said in a statement, “In this powder designed for children, they could die an untimely death in their 30s or 40s because of the exposure to asbestos in this product.”
According to a report from the investigative team at WTVD, an ABC station in North Carolina, the asbestos fibers were found in the talc that’s mixed into the highlighter, and the lab’s researchers think it’s likely that there was asbestos contamination in the mine where the talc was gathered.
Asbestos has been found in makeup sold at a popular tween clothing store https://t.co/n2nyQjwUoJ pic.twitter.com/uqDQXPVBiw
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) July 15, 2017
That could spell trouble for the company that makes the shimmering powder: Asbestos is banned by the Food and Drug Administration, and if the company had tested the mine for asbestos, the contaminated talc wouldn’t have been mixed into the batch.
If you have any of the product, just toss it as soon as humanly possible. And please, don’t drive yourself crazy Googling phantom symptoms. According to the National Cancer Institute, it can take more than 20 years for the fibers to turn into something malignant, so you won’t be showing signs of blood poisoning any time soon.
Asbestos found in makeup at Justice tween clothing store, report says https://t.co/GS1gCU0ia2 pic.twitter.com/TmJQ3pZQCa
— Atlanta Journal-Constitution (@ajc) July 15, 2017
Fitzgerald said, “Fibers like this get into your breathing zone, and when you inhale, these fibers can get into the lung and go to the very bottom of the lung, and that is exactly where you have the greatest likelihood of asbestos to cause disease. Children should not be allowed to breathe it. If a 10 year old inhaled this fiber today, when he’s 50 years old, it’s still there.”
According to Teen Vogue, reps from Justice say they’re investigating the product and have pulled it from their shelves “out of an abundance of caution.” It’s not on the company’s recalls page yet, though.
This is a good reminder to be careful about the products you buy, and protest with your wallets. The more we demand companies do the right thing when it comes to what we use in our beauty routines, the more likely brands will start to listen.
