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iPhone Glitter Cases Recalled Due to Chemical Burn Risk

In total, some 263,000 glitter cases were sold across the US, with a further 11,400 in Canada, and 400 in Mexico. Please stop using them immediately.

 & Matthew Humphries Former Senior Editor

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The popularity of Apple's iPhone means there's a very healthy accessories market to support it. But not all of those accessories are official, and one line of iPhone cases is now being recalled because they can cause skin irritation, chemical burns, or even permanent scarring.

The cases are known as "liquid glitter iPhone cases" and were manufactured in China and distributed by MixBin Electronics LLC, of Hamilton, N.J. They come in a range of designs and were sold by Amazon, Henri Bendel, MixBin, Nordstrom Rack, Tory Burch, and Victoria's Secret stores from October 2015 through to June 2017. Consumers paid anywhere from $15 to $65 for each case.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the liquid and glitter can leak out of the plastic casing and cause harm. Some people simply get a skin irritation, but in the worst cases chemical burns occur which leave permanent scarring.

In total, some 263,000 glitter cases were sold across the US, with a further 11,400 in Canada, and 400 in Mexico. Cases were offered to fit the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 7, with 20 different designs available.

In total, 24 reports of skin irritation or chemical burns have been reported, with 19 of those occurring in the US. In one case a woman experienced "swelling to her leg, face, neck, chest, upper body and hands," in another, "permanent scarring from a chemical burn."

The advice, as you'd expect, is to immediately stop using the glitter cases and to contact MixBin Electronics for a full refund. This can be done by calling MixBin toll-free at 855-215-4935 between 8am-5pm ET Monday-Friday. MixBin also created a dedicated page for the recall giving full details as well as images of all the different case designs.

About Our Expert

Matthew Humphries

Matthew Humphries

Former Senior Editor

My Experience

I started working at PCMag in November 2016, covering all areas of technology and video game news. Before that I spent nearly 15 years working at Geek.com as a writer and editor. I also spent the first six years after leaving university as a professional game designer working with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.

I hold two degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Games Development. My first book, Make Your Own Pixel Art, is available from all good book shops.

My Areas of Expertise

  • PC components and system building
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Software development
  • Storage technology
  • Video games and gaming hardware

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