Retail firm Justice suspends makeup product alleged to contain asbestos

US-based teen products retailer Justice has suspended the sale of its Just Shine Shimmer Powder highlighter makeup product after it was alleged in a television programme to contain toxic substances such as asbestos.

According to USA Today, ABC-affiliated station WTVD sent samples of the product to check for the presence of non-listed ingredients.

Upon analysis, the Scientific Analytical Institute research and analytical services director Sean Fitzgerald identified the presence of tremolite asbestos fibres, reported Cox Media.

Fitzgerald was quoted by the news agency as saying: “Fibres like this get into your breathing zone, and when you inhale, these fibres can get into the lung and go to the very bottom of the lung and that is exactly where you have the greatest likelihood of asbestos to cause disease.

“Children should not be allowed to breathe it. If a 10-year-old inhaled this fibre today, when he’s 50 years old, it’s still there.”

Following the allegation, Justice said that it has removed the product from its stores and website as a precautionary step, while it carries out its own investigation.

 WTVD is reported to have also found presence of toxic heavy metals barium, chromium, selenium, and lead in the makeup product.

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Image: Asbestos tremolite silky fibres. Photo: courtesy of Aram Dulyan/Wikipedia.