When it comes to middle school nostalgia, nothing quite completes the aesthetic like the funky neon, mustachioed knick-knacks and accessories that you could find at Claire’s. The store had everything a 2010-15 preteen girl needs: suspenders, fake glasses, zipper earrings, knee-high converse, and cheap eyeshadow.
Makeup that APPARENTLY contained a potentially harmful substance: asbestos.
According to Web MD, our friendly internet symptom-explainer, asbestos is a substance “found in rocks and soil,” and that the fibers that form asbestos are “too small to see, but easy to breathe in”. Which is hella scary. And according to an article on CNN, as soon as the stuff enters the lungs or stomach, it is extremely dangerous.
Asbestos has many potentially detrimental effects, such as mesothelioma (a tumor that builds in the tissue that guides the lungs, heart and stomach) and asbestosis (long term inflammation and scarring of the lungs). These effects could be life-threatening.
And according to a study from the Scientific Analytical Institute conducted by Sean Fitzgerald, Claire’s was knowingly giving this s*** to young girls.
In a letter to the Claire’s corporation, it’s stated that out of 17 Claire’s samples they selected from ten separate stores around the United States, they found “tremolite asbestos in 17 different products from nine different cities” and that “asbestos was found in 24 makeup items from these 17 kits”. Mega yikes.
Although they have recently released a statement expressing that they stopped the production of the makeup products tested at the Scientific Analytical Institute, and that they actually tested the products themselves, which turned out to be asbestos-free, they disputed all claims that Sean Fitzgerald made about their makeup products, and reassured customers that they could begin to purchase the glitzy, glamorous and potentially life threatening makeup products again.
Whether there is asbestos in Claire’s makeup or not, when I read about this whole debacle, I sort of had a wakeup call. The fact of the matter is, ladies and gents, we often don’t purchase healthy cosmetics! There are a TON of brands that make our faces pop and feel awesome in our souls, but are probably not great for our body.
A few of these nasty chemical compounds are sodium lauryl sulfate, BHA, Parabens, and even sometimes lead.
But don’t start fretting yet!!! There ARE healthy cosmetic products out there!
And an AMAZING non-profit organization known as the Environmental Working Group (EWG), is out there, and wants to inform us about how to be healthier people in a healthier global environment!
Along with amazing consumer guides and news about the environment, the EWG has created a super nifty app that helps you choose the cosmetics that are both healthy for your body and the environment!
The Skin Deep app has personally CHANGED MY LIFE. And it’s really simple to use! Once you download the app onto your iPhone or Android, you just type the name of a product in and it tells you how healthy the product is. This app is basically your personal guide to the safety ratings of cosmetics, and it can tell you about over 78,000 different products and more than 2,500 brands.
And guess what?! IT’S FREE.
So you guys, please PLEASE stay safe with the type of makeup you use! Even though healthier makeup might be more expensive, it’s worth it in the long run!