New Bill Aims to Keep Children ’ s Makeup Asbestos-Free

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell introduced legislation this week that would mandate a warning label on cosmetics marketed to children unless stricter testing can show they are free of asbestos fibers. The legislation was sparked by reports in 2017 that trace amounts of tremolite asbestos were found in cosmetics marketed to girls by national retail chains Claire’s and Justice. Although both companies quickly pulled products off store shelves, they also disputed the findings and later produced lab results showing their merchandise was safe and free of asbestos. “Parents across the country should have the peace of mind in knowing that the cosmetics they buy for their children are safe,” Dingell said in a congressional press release. “No child should be exposed to asbestos through the use of common, everyday products.” Dingell introduced the bill as “Children’s Product Warning Label Act of 2018.” Testing Protocol for Cosmetics Is Key The key issue today is the testing protocol used for cosmetic talc in the various products. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strongly encourages cosmetic companies to test for traces of asbestos, there is no federal law requiring it. The FDA protocol also does not include the technologically advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to test for the toxic mineral. Less-exact, polarized light microscopy (PLM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are considered adequate by current standards. There never has been a medically d...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: asbestos in cosmetics asbestos makeup asbestos-contaminated talc Children’s Product Warning Label Act of 2018 Claire’s asbestos Colgate-Palmolive Department of Health and Human Services Johnson & Johnson justice asbestos polarized li Source Type: news