Once again Talcum Powder is outed as a source of asbestos! The Tory Government slashed health & safety legislation pertaining to products bought for the home and for our children, claiming there was enough protection already in the consumer protection laws; during it’s Red Tape Campaign launch in 2010. Now, in 2018, following warnings at the time from the Health & Safety community that the government were taking risks with the health & safety of consumers, including children; one of the greatest risks to adults and children’s health – asbestos – has been found in Claire’s Accessories, a company that sells make-up for children! This month, a report released by a US analyst has confirmed the presence of tremolite asbestos in children’s products sold at a London suburb outlet of Claire’s Accessories; a US makeup and jewellery chain targeting children and young teenagers. Tremolite is an amphibole variety of asbestos. Although exposure to all types of asbestos fiber can cause a variety of cancers and debilitating diseases, amphiboles are widely regarded to be amongst the most toxic! Asbestos is not purposefully added to cosmetics. However, asbestos can occur naturally in talc, and talc is commonly added to cosmetics. Sparkly, shimmery, and powdery makeup often contains talc as a major ingredient. The US agency responsible for the safety of the American public, The FDA, is currently performing an investigation into the presence of asbestos in Claire’s makeup. The agency, however, has been slow to act or to publish the findings of its investigation. Furthermore, in an example of why people are concerned about the UK beign forced to accept American Safety standartds as part of any UK/US trade deal, the FDA intiailly stated that Claire's Accessories make-up was safe and free from asbestos!In the meantime, European agencies have acted swiftly to protect their citizens, yet at the time of publishing this report, no word has been heard from the UK government or it's agencies on this matter. AS a result, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund (PIRG) decided to do its own asbestos testing at an accredited laboratory. PIRG’s independent lab tested over a dozen makeup products that contained talc from a variety of stores and brands, including children’s and teen’s products as well as adult’s products, and found three products containing asbestos currently sold by Claire's retail company. You can download the full report from the US PIRG web site direct from the unionsafety E-Library Database or by clicking on the pic above. Source: Asbestos Forum / IBAS See also: www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/talcum-powder-and-cancer.html Update 30 July 2019: Asbestos-contaminated talc has found its way into personal hygiene products, crayons, toys and cosmetics marketed to parents and children. ... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed the asbestos test results in 2019, but the FDA has limited authority to regulate the safety of cosmetics.
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