The Food and Drug Administration warned yesterday that it had found asbestos in cosmetics sold by Claire’s, a retailer that markets jewelry and makeup to teenagers, and urged consumers not to use the products, the New York Times reported. Consumer claims of asbestos, a known carcinogen, in some Claire’s cosmetics were reported in 2017. The company withdrew products from store shelves but did not recall them. The FDA, which received its test results in February, said that Claire’s refused to recall the products. The agency issued a safety alert urging consumers not to use certain eye shadows, compact powders and contour palettes. The regulator’s test results “show significant errors,” Claire’s said in a statement, adding that the items identified by the FDA had been “extensively tested by multiple independent accredited laboratories” in early 2018 and were found to follow safety regulations. The retailer filed for chapter 11 protection last March and emerged in October after shedding $1.9 billion of debt.
