A Shein product caused severe burns to a British teenager

Rebecca Clarke, the 47-year-old mother, said her daughter Jasmine “screamed” for help when the nail glue she ordered from the online store Shein accidentally spilled on her foot. The glue burned through Jasmine’s leggings and caused severe burns to her skin. “It was terrible to see my daughter in pain,” Clarke told the Daily Mail. The injured teenager was taken to the emergency room, where doctors drained the blisters and determined that one of the wounds had become infected. Doctors say the deep injuries will likely leave Jasmine with lifelong scars.

Shein has quickly become popular worldwide in recent years, primarily due to its extremely low prices and thousands of new products uploaded daily. However, due to its business model and supply chain, the company has been criticized on several occasions. According to a recent Channel 4 documentary, several of Shein’s suppliers pay workers as little as 2p a piece while expecting to produce 500 pieces a day. However, the company stated that it has a “zero tolerance policy towards forced labor” and strives to ensure fair working conditions.

The injury caused by the nail glue highlights the product safety deficiencies that are often observed in the fast fashion industry. Shein’s customer service offered a refund of just 94p to the injured Jasmine, which the family says is a completely inadequate response. “This should be taken more seriously,” said the young girl. “These were massive burns and two months later they still hurt.”

So far, Shein has not given a meaningful answer to the complaints about product safety, however, the case raises many questions about the reliability of products offered at a low price and draws attention even more to the importance of product safety.