We recently wrote about allegations that the popular <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/toxic_substances">Brazilian Blowout Solution hair styling treatments contain excessive amounts of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, and reports linking it to a growing number of adverse reactions. Since, over 200 people have become involved in a British Columbian (BC)-based class action lawsuit filed against the product’s manufacturers, said CTV News.
Health Canada issued a warning against using Brazilian Blowout last week when it was revealed that lab testing indicated that the popular hair straightening treatment contained 12 percent formaldehyde, said CTV News.
Just prior, the Oregon Occupation Heath and Safety Administration (OSHA), together with the Oregon Health and Science University’s Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology, tested some of the Brazilian Blowout products after workers at one Oregon salon complained that they had suffered eye irritation, nose bleeds, and difficulty breathing after they used the treatments. Two formulations of the product contained 4.85 percent to 10.6 percent formaldehyde. Additional analysis detected four additional chemicals in each sample that were not quantified in the lab, including methanol and ethanol.
Health Canada said it received complaints of burning eyes, nose, and throat, breathing difficulties, and one report of hair loss associated with use of Brazilian Blowout Solution. Agency testing found that Brazilian Blowout Solution contains 12 percent formaldehyde, which is permitted in cosmetics at less than 0.2 percent when used as a preservative. According to CTV News, the product exceeds the legal limit for cosmetics by a whopping 60-fold.
While 200 have joined in the class action, over 1,000 more are expected, said experts close to the case. The lawsuit was initiated by Kimberley Ryley, a stylist located in Victoria, BC, said CTV News. Ryley said she likely used the product well over 200 times in the past year and noted that negative side effects were experienced with each application, explained CTV News. Ryley said she felt obligated to proceed with legal action against a firm that could be responsible for future health issues. “We’re doing this for all the stylists in Canada and across the world that could possibly have health problems after this,” she said, quoted CTV News. “Maybe even cancer,” Ryley added.
Brazilian Blowout, a pricey salon treatment touted as being “all natural,†promises to leave hair “frizz-free, shiny, effortlessly manageable and with plenty of body and bounce.†Results are said to last up to 12 weeks. According to its Website, the Brazilian Blowout “smoothes the hair through the use of a proprietary polymer system that bonds amino acids to the surface of the hair.†The site claims the treatment is “100% salon safe.â€
Formaldehyde is a known irritant, sensitizer, and is linked to cancer in humans when inhaled chronically over a long period of time. Health Canada said it believes that the reactions are being caused by formaldehyde becoming aerosolized during the blow-drying and flat ironing stages of the treatment. The agency pointed out that any procedure containing formaldehyde above allowable limits places clients and stylists at increased risk.
Most recently, Brazilian Blowout’s maker questioned US laboratory tests of the toxic product arguing that it mistakenly labeled methylene glycol—commonly found in salon products—as the carcinogenic formaldehyde, said CTV News. Regardless, if the solution turns out to be free of formaldehyde, Health Canada testing determined that the product releases the chemical during heating, which it is created to do and, which—say experts—amounts to intentional deceit.
