RETAILER Claire’s has pulled make-up products off its shelves while it investigates claims they contain asbestos.
The accessory chain has withdrawn 17 items from sale in the United States, after a concerned mum sent one of the sets she purchased for her daughter to be tested.
Kristi Warner was worried what made-up her daughter’s glitter make-up kit, with the results revealing it contained tremolite asbestos, a substance which can cause malignant mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer which usually affects the lungs and is linked to asbestos exposure.
She then bought another 17 products in different parts of the country, and all of them were found to contain the potentially-fatal substance.
She told news station WJAR: “I physically sank.
“I ended-up sitting on the ground trying to wrap my head around how something like that could end up in our home.”
The Sun Online has asked the retailer to clarify if the sets have been on sale in the UK and if they have been tested for asbestos but so far it hasn’t responded to our calls.
But all the items are currently listed on its UK website under its “product and safety” pages, and The Sun Online was unable to find any of them for sale on its website this morning.
Its Twitter page is also directing worried parents in the UK to the list of affected products.
According to figures from Cancer Research UK, more than 2,600 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.
It affects the lungs and around five times more men than woman get it, as it is often caused by exposure to asbestos at work.
Following the tests, the retailer said it had withdrawn the products from sale as a precaution and is carrying out its own investigation
It’s also offering those who have bought the products the chance to get a full refund if they are worried about the potential health dangers.
In a statement on its website it said: “Safety of our customers is of paramount importance, and we are passionate about the safety and integrity of our products.
“We work closely with our vendors to ensure our products are tested and assessed in line with the relevant country regulations and guidelines.
“We have taken the precautionary measure of pulling the items in question from sale and will be conducting an immediate investigation into the alleged issues.
“Once we have more information and have the results of the investigation we will take the necessary action.
“If you have items you wish to return in the interim period we will issue a refund.”
[“Source-thesun”]