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Happy Holiday Shopping Comes with a Prop. 65 Warning

With the holiday season comes shopping, and with shopping comes potential gifts with California's ubiquitous warning labels:

Toronto, Canada

The TV station CP24 reported that a popular retailer has recalled a winter hat after at least one customer discovered a label inside warning that it contained chemicals that could cause cancer and birth defects.

After taking the hat home and preparing to pre-wash it, Tara Lawless discovered a label inside that warned: "This product may contain chemicals considered by the state of California to lead to cancer, birth defects or other harms."

"Being a mom of two young boys, ages eight and two, I immediately put it back into the bag, tied it and placed it outside of our apartment," the woman told CP24 in an email.

Calgary, Canada

Odd Prop. 65 warnings appear on snow globes for sale in Calgary. Graham Bond was shopping at a Lowe's store recently, when he noticed a decorative snow globe with a label that read: "Warning: May cause cancer! May cause an allergic skin reaction."

Lowe's Canada spokesperson Valerie Gonzalo told CTV Calgary the labels are there to satisfy a California law that requires manufacturers to put warnings on products containing any of 800 chemicals that state deems carcinogenic, even if they're found at safe levels.

Gonzalo said the snow globe passed Lowe's testing protocols. While it does contain lead, the levels are deemed safe. In fact, Gonzalo said the labels were actually supposed to be removed from the stock, "but it appears some remained by mistake."

Lulu's Pink Fizz

Although Lulu's Pink Fizz did not contain a Prop. 65 warning, it did receive an award.

Melissa Breyer from Treehugger wrote about the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood's distinguished award: The TOADY, which singles out Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children. There is no shortage of contenders. From thousands of toys that "stifle creativity, lionize brands, and promote screen-based entertainment at the expense of children's play," CCFC selected six exceptional finalists for 2016.

Now that the votes are in, however, there is a clear winner: Lulu's Pink Fizz Beauty Essentials Little Bow Chic Collection 11 piece makeup set that lists eight ingredients known to be toxic or carcinogenic, as per the Breast Cancer Fund's report.


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