Claire’s is a fairly popular chain of retail stores that are located in many malls across America. From stuffed bears and toys, to makeup and jewelry, Claire’s sells almost everything that could be targeted toward a preteen girl; which is what makes it so memorable in most people’s eyes. Many parents flock to the retail store to buy their children their desired gifts, especially when it comes to cosmetics and jewelry which is something the brand prides themselves on. Since Claire’s products are normally under the twenty dollar range, it makes it desirable for most adults to buy their children items there instead of spending more cash on products targeted at an older audience. Since the products are aimed toward children and the brand is widely talked about that would imply that the majority of the products it sells are safe, however, in recent media the Federal Drug Association (FDA) has openly recalled several products sold from the stores. 

Most of their recalled products seem to be cosmetics that the brand puts out, which is specifically aimed for children. Many makeup companies such as Sephora and Morphe are required to go through rigorous testing periods to ensure that the products they sell are safe for consumer usage. Even “drugstore” makeup that is sold in Walmarts and Dollar Generals have to go through a testing trial before the cosmetics can legally be sold at that vender. However, this isn’t the case when it comes to beauty products that are specifically aimed for children, as the majority of them don’t require the same level of attention. They’re almost expected to be products of lower quality, and in most cases, most people don’t consider child makeup “real” cosmetics. This is an issue, because it’s the exact reason wny brands such as Claire’s are allowed to sell  products with health hazards with nearly no real consequences. 

One of the largest cases of Claire’s recalling a product from their vender was in late December of 2017, when they quietly announced on their Twitter page the products in question were required to be returned or thrown out. These products included, but were not limited to, a bedazzled rainbow heart makeup set and a metallic hot pink glitter makeup set. These cosmetics are obviously targeted toward a younger audience, meaning the majority of the demographic who bought these products were kids aged 8-14. The cosmetics bought my children were officially pulled off the shelf due to reports asbestos. Exposure to asbestos, once commonly used for building insulation, has been found to lead to certain types of cancers and tumors on internal organs. This recollection wasn’t the first however, nor would it be the last. March 11th, 2019, Claire’s put out an official statement on their online website informing consumers that their eyeshadows, compact powder, and contour palette would no longer be sold by that vendor due to presence of the presence of asbestos fibers found in the batches. They go on to state that inhalation of such product has been known to lead to “serious health consequences,” and do not mention the full consequences of using the products. These products have been sold by the vender since 2016, up until March of 2019, meaning that they’ve been sold for approximately three years allowing children nationwide to get their hands on such a harmful product.

In fact, when the FDA originally released a statement asking for Claire’s to pull the products, claiming that it was “unsafe for consumer usage,” the brand went as far as to refuse and defend their products. The FDA does not have the power to forcibly remove the product from the brand, but decided to issue a statement to consumers warning them against the usage of such products. Claire’s spokeswoman had only this to say; "The FDA test reports have mischaracterized fibers in the products as asbestos, in direct contradiction to established EPA and USP (United States Pharmacopeia) criterion for classifying asbestos fibers,Despite our efforts to discuss these issues with the FDA, they insisted on moving forward with their release. We are disappointed that the FDA has taken this step, and we will continue to work with them to demonstrate the safety of our products."

Abetoses does occur naturally in the presence of Tale, which is a mineral used commonly in powdered base cosmetics. As stated before inhalation or consumption of abetoses can lead to respiratory diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. The world health organization say that there is no safe level for inhalation of abetoses, and although the mineral is banned in countries such as The United Kingdom, the entirety of the European Union, and Canada, America refuses to ban in it products. Another popular brand that has been accused of having Abetoses in their cosmetics is Justice, another retail store which is targeted toward children. This issue stems entirely from the fact that children’s cosmetic does not undergo the same testing that cosmetics do when they are targeted for adults. One could even argue that big brands such as these take advantage of their young consumers and naive parents who do not see the need in checking the product ingredients. Let this article serve as a reminder that no matter how trustworthy a brand may seem, it’s vital one always checks what exactly they’re purchasing.