The giggles of excitement could be heard from the adolescent stores as young girls rushed to purchase their desired products. The parents followed, with the preconceptions of a pleasant, safe store where their daughters could peace of mind in the midst of pink and purple jeweled accessories.

Claire’s and Justice are both stores that high school girls look back on with memories of dressing up and glamming out. For many young girls, these stores are the first exposure they got to fashion, and more importantly, makeup. With their main audience being young girls and preteens, these stores have an obligation to make sure their makeup is safe to use, especially since it is many kids’ first time using makeup.

What is taking the nation by storm and shocking several parents and young girls is the recent discovery made by the Cosmetics Department of the Food & Drug Association. On Tuesday, the FDA claimed to have found certain makeup products in these stores that contained Asbestos, a dangerous mineral substance. 

“Studies have linked more than a dozen different diseases to asbestos exposure,” explains The Mesothelioma Center.  “Many of these diseases, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer, have a confirmed relationship with asbestos.”

#WARNING: FDA is advising consumers NOT to use certain @claires eye shadows, compact powder, & contour powder products because they may be contaminated w/ #asbestos fibers.  If you have these cosmetics in your home – stop using them. https://t.co/CqtxENLZye pic.twitter.com/GTYdnWzKva

— FDA Cosmetics (@FDACosmetics) March 5, 2019

Asbestos have been proven to be the single largest cause of occupational cancers in the United States and been proven to be linked to many different diseases, especially mesothelioma.

With the known dangers of this substance, it is surprising that stores such Claire’s and Justice, especially aiming for younger audiences, risked putting these substances in their makeup. The situation only worsened when Claire’s retaliated weakly in defense of their products. On Wednesday, March 6, they released a statement in the following tweet.

At Claire’s, customer safety is paramount, and we pride ourselves on providing our customers with the highest quality and safest products. We wish to address today’s FDA warning that three cosmetic items sold by Claire’s may have been contaminated with asbestos. pic.twitter.com/tpNfLRtNIK

— Claire’s (@claires) March 6, 2019

“I think it’s really bad and [Claire’s] need to stop. People younger than us use Claire’s makeup and if their skin is exposed to chemicals like Asbestos, there will be horrible effects on their skin in the future,”  sophomore Tarini Gajelli states. “Cheap makeup doesn’t need to have elite ingredients, but it needs to have safe ingredients.”

This case shines a light on the neglect and ignorance companies adapt in regards to health inspections, and ingredients in products. It is incredibly important for consumers to become aware of the products and understand the severity of the situation. Children don’t often have the knowledge to understand what each ingredient or product does. Realizing that harmful properties are in these children’s products will make or families and communities safer.