FDA has received inquiries from consumers and salon professionals concerning the safety of hair-smoothing products containing formaldehyde or related ingredients, which may release formaldehyde gas into the air when heated.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a Hazard Alert to hair salon owners and workers about potential formaldehyde exposure from working with these products. FDA has issued warning letters to GIB, LLC dba Brazilian Blowout and to Van Tibolli Beauty Corp., citing safety and labeling violations.
FDA continues to evaluate hair products that release formaldehyde when heated. The following information is intended to answer questions people may have on this subject.
FDA's Advice to Consumers
Skin sensitivity can develop after repeated contact with formaldehyde-related ingredients. When formaldehyde is released into the air it can cause serious irritation of your eyes, nose, and lungs. The greater the exposure, in terms of both duration and concentration, to products that contain formaldehyde-related ingredients, the higher the health risks.
For example, studies of workers exposed to high levels of formaldehyde, such as industrial workers and embalmers, found that formaldehyde causes myeloid leukemia, and rare cancers including sinonasal and nasopharyngeal cancer. (See “Formaldehyde,” on the National Institute for Environmental Safety and Health website.)
Read the label. If you're purchasing a product on a retail basis, whether at a store or by mail order, including on the Internet, the product is required to have a list of the ingredients. If it doesn't, please let FDA know. The list of ingredients is required under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. Here are some ingredients to look for:
- Formaldehyde
- Formalin
- Methylene glycol
Ask your salon professional. Products that are marketed only to salon professionals may not have a list of ingredients, because the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act applies only to products marketed on a retail basis to consumers. Professional use products, however, are required to have directions for safe use and any necessary warning statements, and OSHA requires them to have an SDS (also called an MSDS). You can ask salon professionals if they know whether a product contains formaldehyde-related ingredients or other ingredients you may wish to avoid.
Report bad reactions. Consumers are one of FDA's most important sources of information. To report a reaction to a cosmetic product, use one of these contacts:
1) Reporting by phone to the Consumer Complaint Coordinator at your nearest FDA district office. Phone numbers are posted on FDA's Web page, Consumer Complaint Coordinators.
2) Reporting online to FDA's MedWatch adverse event reporting system. You also may call MedWatch at 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form by mail.
Salon workers also can file complaints about unsafe workplaces with OSHA, as stated in OSHA’s Hazard Alert.
