A Kink in Brazilian Keratin Hair Straighteners

Celebrities from Nicole Richie to Lindsay Lohan have credited their smooth locks to a keratin based straightening process commonly referred to as the Brazilian blowout. Positioned as a less chemical intensive, more natural and gentler on the hair, alternative to straightening curly locks, thousands have flocked to salons and forked over upwards of two hundred and fifty dollars for the procedure that lasts approximately 3-months. One stylist reportedly told her consumer the procedure was so safe even pregnant women can use it.

There's only one problem.

Most variants of the formulation sold under several different names in the United States including Marcia Teixeira Brazilian Keratin Treatment, Advanced Keratin Treatment, Brazilian Blow Out, Agi Maxx, QoD, contain the very naturally occurring toxin formaldehyde, at levels higher than deemed safe by the FDA (Sweden and Japan ban formaldehyde from all cosmetics).

Formaldehyde in addition to causing respiratory distress is a known human carcinogen conclusively linked to respiratory cancers and possibly even leukemia. It was also the culprit behind the illnesses linked to the hurricane Katrina FEMA trailers.

When the formaldehyde problem was leaked in 2007 many of the companies went back, reformulated their products and returned with products labeled 'formaldehyde free'.

That should be the end of the issue, right?

Wrong.

This week Oregon's Health Science & University (OHSU) released two separate reports detailing the formaldehyde concentrations of two supposedly formaldehyde-free Brazilian keratin hair straightening solutions - Acai Professional Smoothing Solution, and Brazilian Blowout Solution. The products tested at (averaged) 9.5% and 4.8% respectively.

If a product contains more than 0.1% formaldehyde, Occupational Safe and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that the manufacturer lists it on the material safety data sheet, to allow users of said product to take adequate protection measures.

This is not merely about a handful of companies seeking to profit regardless of the long-term effects of its consumers. There's a larger narrative here about how companies think it's perfectly acceptable to ply their - often female users - with toxic chemicals; a market often created by the manufacturers themselves by routinely telling women that whatever they are - tall, short, thin, plump, curly haired or straight it's simply not enough. In the US its toxic hair products, in India its mercury and lead filled skin whiteners that often leave their users irreparably scarred.

There's no excuse - business has to do better.

Fortunately, at least one has recognized the importance of business transparency. Under the heading of "the Myth of Formaldehyde Free" Manufacturers of the Brazilian Keratin Straightener QoD wrote the following on their website regarding the issue of formaldehyde in their products:

Even though QOD Brazilian Keratin formulas do not contain industrially manufactured raw formaldehyde, we choose not to advertise them as "formaldehyde free." We find this to be a disingenuous marketing gimmick [editorial note: some formulations have no active formaldehyde but have derivatives that convert to formaldehyde when the hair is heated as part of the straightening process, this is what they're referencing as disingenuous ]. More importantly, it is potentially harmful. If stylists are comforted with a false sense of confidence, believing that a product is "formaldehyde free," they may not follow the same stringent safety protocols they would with other powerful salon products. That would be a mistake. The bottom line is this: Any formulation that produces a significant volume-reduction in the hair lasting several weeks is a potent salon product. It should always be treated with healthy respect, and handled in compliance with salon safety protocols by licensed hair professionals only.