Back in April, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a Hazard Alert for anyone using Brazilian Blowout hair straightening products, stating that salon workers and customers could potentially be exposed to formaldehyde. The organization said it would continue to work with the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to assess the risk associated with the straighteners.
And now, Time.com reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning to Brazilian Blowout’s manufacturers, confirming that the product contains glycol, the liquid form of formaldehyde, which can release formaldehyde gas (known to be carcinogenic) into the air.
The FDA takes issue with the products’ misleading labels, which claim to be “Formaldehyde Free.”
Brazilian Blowout, however, insists its products are safe, posting the following message on its website.
In our continued effort to clear up misinformation about the Brazilian Blowout, we are delighted to be working with the FDA in demonstrating that the Brazilian Blowout complies with both state and federal guidelines. Rest assured we will continue to provide you, our loyal customers, with the latest information as it becomes available. You can continue to confidently offer the Brazilian Blowout treatment to your customers with the knowledge that Brazilian Blowout falls well below the stringent standards set forth by OSHA.
It remains to be seen how much longer Brazilian Blowout products will be available in U.S. salons (As Time notes, they’ve already been banned in Canada).
But in the meantime, some good news for hair-straightening enthusiasts: WWD recently reported that Bumble and bumble and L’Oréal have plans to offer alternative smoothing treatments that are formaldehyde free.
Source: HuffingtonPost.com
