It is important to know what you are really exposing your clients and yourself to. According to an article posted online by the Los Angeles Times, “Three out of four keratin hair straighteners tested for a new study on formaldehyde exposure in hair-smoothing products contained more formaldehyde than the product claimed, according to research conducted by the San Francisco-based scientific consulting firm, ChemRisk, and published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.
The study tested four popular hair-straightening products for formaldehyde content and exposure during use, including the Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution, Global Keratin Juvexin Optimized Functional Keratin, Coppola Keratin Complex Blonde Formula and La-Brasiliana Escluso Keratin Treatment. Only La-Brasiliana tested formaldehyde-free. Though Global Keratin was the only tested product to mention the presence of formaldehyde on its label, the ChemRisk study found the product contained more than twice as much as claimed — 8.3%. Brazilian Blowout was labeled as formaldehyde-free but contained 11.5%; the Coppola product contained 3% formaldehyde, according to the study.
Formaldehyde is a chemical that can sting eyes and cause respiratory problems. Chronic exposure has also been linked to cancer.”
