Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell introduced legislation mandating that all cosmetics marketed to children must be free of asbestos, or otherwise carry a warning label.
Dingell introduced the Children’s Product Warning Label Act of 2018 after accessories retailer Claire’s pulled 17 products from their shelves in December. Asbestos was found in the cosmetics marketed to children. Even small levels of asbestos can cause diseases like lung cancer and mesothelioma many years after exposure.
The full list of products pulled by Claire's can be found here.
“Parents across the country should have the peace of mind in knowing that the cosmetics they buy for their children are safe. Yet we were all stunned when the retailer Claire’s pulled 17 products from their shelves after asbestos was found in cosmetics marketed to children, including glitter and eye shadow,” said Dingell. “No child should be exposed to asbestos through the use of common, everyday products."
Dingell added that a broad overhaul of FDA’s authority over cosmetics and personal care products is long overdue.
The Children’s Product Warning Label Act requires all cosmetics marketed to children to contain a warning label that the product has not been evaluated for asbestos contamination unless the manufacturer of the product attests in writing to the Secretary that the source is an asbestos free-mine, and that they demonstrate to FDA that the product is asbestos-free using the transmission electron microscopy method.
