Lawmakers push to protect children from asbestos in makeup following Troubleshooter investigation

WASHINGTON (WTVD) -- Lawmakers at our nation's capital are working to make cosmetics marketed at children safer.

This action comes after a ITEAM Troubleshooter investigation exposed asbestos in kids makeup.

Our investigation sparked the retailer to recall the products that tested positive for asbestos, and now lawmakers are fighting to create rules and regulations to make products marketed towards kids and teens safer.

"Asbestos shouldn't be in makeup protects," is what US Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) said when I asked her about the legislation she proposed. "There are more than 2,000 products on the market that children are using that have asbestos in it."

Dingell introduced a bill called, the Children's Product Warning Label Act. This proposed legislation would require children's cosmetics to contain a warning label that the product has not been evaluated for asbestos unless the manufacturer has demonstrated to the FDA that the product has been sourced from an asbestos-free mine.

"We at least need to label those products, as cigarettes are, so that someone knows willingly and knowingly they are using a product that endangers a child," Dingell said.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) is co-sponsor of the bill.

"I think there is an assumption that someone somewhere is protecting them," Schakowsky said. "The average American uses about ten of them every day and is exposed to about 126 unique chemicals from these products. This includes countless products marketed towards and used by children. I will continue to fight for full disclosure of the many chemicals in our products, including dangerous carcinogens like asbestos."

There is still a lot of work to be done before this bill goes up for a vote. We will keep you updated on the progress.