BODY glitter sold on eBay is being urgently recalled because it contains dangerous chemicals that can irritate your lungs.
Pots of silver “all over glitter” sold under a brand called Saffron were found to be made with a chemical called antimony.
European guidelines state that cosmetic products shouldn’t contain any more than 0.5mg/kg of the chemical.
But the 4.5g pallets were found to contain 24.7mg/kg meaning it doesn’t comply with “Cosmetic Product Regulations”.
If it’s inhaled, even in dust particles, it could cause your lungs to become inflamed and irritated, making it difficult to breathe.
In more serious cases, where people are exposed to the chemical for a long time, it can cause heart problems, reports the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR).
PRODUCT recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods.
As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action.
But it’s often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk.
If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer’s website to see if a safety notice has been issued.
When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you – the customer – to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don’t there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault.
If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer.
They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice.
In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected.
You should not be charged for any recall work – such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item.
This isn’t likely to happen as a result of using the body glitter but customers are being advised not to use it just in case.
Despite the recall notice issued yesterday advising retailers to stop selling the products, The Sun found that they were still listed on eBay for £2.95 this morning.
The online retailer has since removed the products from sale.
A spokesperson told The Sun: “These listings have been removed and the sellers informed.
“The safety of customers is our number one priority and we work closely with bodies such as Trading Standards to ensure listings sold on our marketplace comply with the law.”
The body glitter, which is a popular make-up for festival-goers, is made up of black skin paint with silver glitter.
It is designed to be worn as eye shadow but is advertised that it can be put all over your body.
A similar product in purple sold under the brand Beauty Woman, which we couldn’t find being sold in the UK, is also being recalled because it also contains a huge 29.7mg/kg of antimony.
Both make-up products have been imported from China and come in a black plastic container with a clear cap.
The make-up comes in other colours too but it’s only the shades mentioned above that are affected by the recall.
Trading Standards does not state whether shoppers will be able to get a refund by returning it but you are advised stop using it as a precaution.
We’ve asked eBay if it will offer refunds to customers and we’ll update this story when we get a response.
A the end of last year, Claire’s Accessories was forced to recall girls’ make-up due to fears they contain potentially dangerous asbestos.
Claire’s Accessories shoppers should also check if they’ve recently bought a cuddly llama as the soft toy has been recalled amid safety concerns.
Other recalls to look out for include the Reborn doll because of an issue with the magnetic dummy, which means it could be a choking hazard.
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