Are Salons Exposing Clients To A Carcinogenic Gas?

Among products used to straighten frizzy or curly hair, the Acai Professional Smoothing Solution used in the Brazilian Blowout treatment has become the preferred choice of many stylists and their clients. The North Hollywood company that makes the product, GIB, was marketing it as “formaldehyde free.” Stylists, however, were experiencing several of the symptoms of formaldehyde exposure: burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat; respiratory problems; nausea; headaches; and skin irritation.

Some of the first studies of the product were conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Division in Oregon, where tests revealed levels of formaldehyde in the product well above the 0.1 percent permissible in the workplace without appropriate safety instruction and training. The formulas contained between 6.3 percent and 10.6 percent of the dangerous chemical, reported the Los Angeles Times.

News of the research results prompted the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a hazard alert about the product to consumers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct its own tests on the formula. The agency found levels of formaldehyde ranging from 8.7 percent to 10.4 percent, about the same amount contained in embalming fluid, reported Time magazine. In response to these findings, the FDA sent the company a warning letter that it must address the safety and labeling violations it committed.

The company also faces several legal actions in California, including a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. for its violations of Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, the Unfair Competition Law, and the California Safe Cosmetics Act, explains an attorney in the state.

Consumers in California and other states can avoid the personally injurious consequences of exposure to formaldehyde by reading the ingredient labels on products and avoiding those that contain formaldehyde, formalin, or methylene glycol. The FDA should be notified if a product purchased on a retail basis does not have its ingredients listed.

By: Larry Drexel

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Larry Drexel is a Public Relations manager. To obtain free, informative books or articles he suggests visiting California personal injury attorney.