Released just this week, the FDA report is full of testing data—photos, graphs, tables, and other insights—gathered by AMA Analytical Services, a Maryland-based testing lab that specializes in asbestos testing.
The lab was hired to do testing for one year, after reports of asbestos-contaminated talc raised concern about the safety of cosmetic products on the market.
The FDA statement posted online this week makes it very clear that there is no safe amount of asbestos and that the agency is not only continuing testing but also taking steps to update testing protocol for ingredient suppliers and beauty makers.
“There is general agreement among U.S. federal agencies and the World Health Organization that there is no known safe level of asbestos exposure,” says Susan Mayne, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, in the FDA post.
And Mayne goes on to emphasize that “Earlier this month during a public meeting, the FDA gathered input from federal partners, industry experts and the public to support the development of standardized testing, methodologies, terminology and criteria that can be applied to characterize and measure asbestos and other potentially harmful elongate mineral particles that may be present as contaminants in talc-containing products or products that use talc as an ingredient. Our work in this area is ongoing and we’ll continue to communicate with the public as we have updates to share.”
Nine color cosmetics and personal care products were found to contain asbestos
AMA Analytical Services tested over 50 samples for contamination; 43 came up negative and the following 9 beauty products tested positive for asbestos:
- Johnson’s Baby Powder, Johnson & Johnson
- Claire’s Compact Powder style #83915-9, Claire’s
- Claire’s Contour Palette style #40194-3, Claire’s
- JoJo Siwa Makeup Set, Claire’s
- Contour Effects Palette 2, City Color
- Timeless Beauty Palette, City Color
- Matte Blush (Fuchsia), City Color
- Shimmer Bronzer (Caramel), City Color
- Bronzer (Sunset), City Color
The positive results were shared publicly as soon as possible (throughout 2019) and the FDA worked with the affected companies to recall product as needed.
The FDA will continue testing and expects to release another report in early 2021. Find the full current report online here, in six sections all dated March 9, 2020, under the heading CFSAN Electronic Reading Room Postings.
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Deanna Utroske is a leading voice in the cosmetics and personal care industry as well as in the indie beauty movement. As Editor of the news website CosmeticsDesign.com, she writes daily articles about the business of beauty in the Americas region and regularly produces video interviews with cosmetics, fragrance, personal care, and packaging experts as well as with indie brand founders.
