The original formulation of the company’s cuticle treatment product may necessitate a child safety closure, says the company in a press release about the recall. “This product is safe when used as intended; however, the viscosity level of Pure Ice Fixer Upper Cuticle Oil is such that it may require child-resistant caps.”
Clearing the shelves
The Bari cuticle oil treatment is sold only at Walmart stores. Now, the two companies are collaborating to pull it from store shelves.
No incidents of accidental product inhalation by a child have been reported. And, to-date only 300 of the products have sold, according to Bari Cosmetics.
Reformulate rather than repackage
The original formulation includes low-viscosity mineral oil, the company notes in its statement to the press. This ingredient “could be harmful if accidentally inhaled by a child,” explains Bari.
Instead of selecting a child-resistant packaging option, the company plans to reformulate before bringing its cuticle oil back to market. The time frame for relaunch is vague, with Bari saying only that it will happen in “the future.”
In the time being, Bari is accepting product returns from customers who bout the oil in exchange for a refund or replacement coupon.
Regulatory headlines
When product safety issues make the news, it’s not good for the brand in question or their partner companies.
Recent regulatory issues covered by Cosmetics Design include Johnson & Johnson’s loss in court for fraud, negligence, and conspiracy. A jury found that the company opted not to warn consumers of cancer risks associated with talcum powder.
Last month, EOS settled a class action suit over customer complaints of a rash ostensibly resulting from the company’s lip care products. Reformulation was never an issue in this case, though EOS did agree to modify product labels.
And Lush Cosmetics is taking a friendly neighbor approach to complaints from residents living near that company’s Toronto, Ontario, manufacturing facility. People have been speaking up for some time about how the smell from the site negatively and substantially affects quality of life in the area. Lush hopes that by fielding comments from concerned citizens and modifying the facility accordingly, a legal battle can be avoided.