Are you sacrificing your health for long and straight hair?

On October 27, 2010, Health Canada issued an advisory regarding unsafe levels of formaldehyde in Brazilian Blowout Solutions, a professional hair-smoothing product available in salons across the country. Just a little over two months later, Health Canada added another 10 products to this harmful list and subsequently demanded that salons immediately discontinue this service. Initially, many of these products represented themselves as being “formaldehyde-free” and safe for both consumers and hair stylists applying the product. Testing by Health Canada has proved otherwise, indicating harmful formaldehyde levels between 1.4% and 7.0%.

What’s the deal with formaldehyde?

In Know what’s in your beauty products, we listed formaldehyde as an ingredient “whose side effects can be detrimental to your health and beauty” over time and in large amounts. This ingredient is a known irritant and carcinogen with links to difficulty breathing and cancer. Health Canada received complaints outlining the burning of eyes, nose and throat during the procedure, especially during the aerosolized stages of blow drying and straightening. Although Health Canada does permit the use of formaldehyde under 0.2% in cosmetics for the use of preservation, the banned keratin products greatly exceed the 0.2% permitted level.

The roots of the formaldehyde ingredient

According to an article in Allure Magazine, Scared Straight, the origins of this treatment allegedly stemmed from a Brazilian mortuary where an embalmer found that “the formaldehyde that he used on the corpses also straightened their hair”. And so if it worked on the hair of the perished, why wouldn’t it work on the hair of the living? The first solution created was thought to contain formaldehyde levels of over 20%! But “even in Brazil’s humid, tropical climate, treated hair stayed smooth and silky for two to three months”, the article said. Given this observation, it was believed that the formaldehyde was the smoothing agent, not the keratin.

It’s a case of misrepresentation and misinformation

Currently, salons, distributors and manufacturers are playing a he said-she said preschool game where all parties thought that their procedures maintained national health regulations and were deemed to be safe. However, the number of consumer reports and complaints tell a different story. Ultimately, this is just a whole lot of people believing that these products could give them beautiful, long and healthy hair just like Rapunzel.

What’s the point?

As a consumer, it has never been more important to do your own research into products and procedures in which you are interested and the companies that make or provide them. With the Internet’s accessibility to information, I urge you to take the necessary preventative measures prior to purchasing a product or service.

Want a safe, at-home alternative for smooth hair free of formaldehyde?

Trade Secrets / Glamour Secrets is the first Canadian retailer of Liquid Keratin, a revolutionary, patented at-home treatment that infuses unmanageable hair with natural keratin peptides resulting in frizz-free locks for up to 30 days! Best of all, the Liquid Keratin line is free of formaldehyde and its derivatives, and does not create formaldehyde once heated. Manufactured in the United State, Liquid Keratin is clinically tested at one of the top research labs specializing in human hair, TRI Princeton. Visit Liquid Keratin and Liquid Keratin Bold to learn more about these formaldehyde-free at-home hair-smoothing treatments.