Canada issues warning for popular hair product, Brazilian Blowout

Health Canada issued a warning Thursday to advise the public that a new hair straightening product known as Brazilian Blowout contains high levels of formaldehyde.

Oct 2010

A product promoted in Canada as natural has been found to contain high levels of formaldehyde, and Health Canada has warned potential users they should report adverse reactions and seek medical help for those reactions.

Health Canada issued a warning Thursday to advise the public that a new hair straightening product known as Brazilian Blowout contains high levels of formaldehyde. The agency said "Health Canada is working with the exclusive Canadian distributor to address concerns regarding Brazilian Blowout Solution and to stop distribution of this product to salons in Canada. Health Canada is also informing consumers of the risk associated with this product."

The complaints that prompted Health Canada to issue the advisory and to examine the product included
"... burning eyes, nose, and throat, breathing difficulties, and one report of hair loss associated with use of the product."

Health Canada did not identify the Canadian distributor, but that company was named by the website, Brazilian Blowout (dot ca) as Modern Beauty
Supplies.

The product only recently became available in Canada through hair salons, and has been popular because it promises to straighten curly hair non-permanently and naturally, without harmful chemicals, and without changing the structure of the hair.

The makers of Brazilian Blowout say Oregon's Occupational Health and Safety Administration had issued a similar warning in Oregon. The website for the American distributor, Brazilian Blowout (dot com) has posted a response that states in part, "The Oregon division of OSHA’s (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) recent claims that samples of the Brazilian Blowout Professional Smoothing Solution contained between 4.85% and 10.6% Formaldehyde has been proven to be incorrect. ... OSHA’s Testing Methods are faulty."

The press release goes on to explain that the Oregon Safety and Health Administration was measuring another chemical called methylene glycol, which was confusing as being formaldehyde. Oregon began investigating the product after receiving complaints from hair salons, according to a press release issued by the OSHA. The OSHA claimed to have used four different testing methods, and all found high levels of formaldehyde in a sample of Brazilian Blowout that was labelled as "formaldehyde free." The OSHA also said it found four other chemicals in the product that were not listed on the label.

Brazilian Blowout is made by a company called Cadiveu. The company has issued a statement for the United States, saying "... Before Cadiveu USA entered into its Distribution Agreement with Cadiveu Brazil, we were assured that Cadiveu’s chemists were not relying on formaldehyde in their formulas.

To confirm this, we hired an independent lab to test the products thoroughly. The results of this test confirmed that the formula does not contain formaldehyde as a functional ingredient in the hair smoothing process. As a result we felt confident that we were offering a safe product, which is our primary concern.

In recent weeks, there have been rumors regarding various brands, their formaldehyde content, as well as an abundance of misinformation about formaldehyde in general. To address these misunderstandings and to increase our own knowledge about these complex issues, Cadiveu USA engaged the services of a number of leading scientific experts to provide additional information and testing.

The good news is; experts who have examined the Cadiveu formula and/or tested the Cadiveu brand in salons, while the services are being performing, have found that salon professionals are not exposed to levels that exceed OSHA’s recognized safe levels of exposure for formaldehyde.
Cadiveu USA is committed to educating salon professionals about the safety of our products and how to create a safe work environment for both customers and salon professionals.

To this end we performed another series of in-depth tests, using state-of-the-art technology to further examine the components of the Cadiveu formula. We conducted scientific tests at both room temperature and at 450°F to simulate the conditions of use in salons, e.g. heated with a flat iron. The results of these tests show formaldehyde levels in the product are below 0.0002% or 2/10,000 percent and is therefore considered safe. Also as mentioned above, knowledgeable experts in the field believe that salon professionals’ exposure are within levels considered safe by OSHA."

However, one hair stylist in British Columbia has launched a class action law suit against the makers of Brazilian Blowout, reported CTVBC. Merchant Law Group is handling the litigation, and it is also acting on behalf of American consumers and stylists who have been exposed to formaldehyde while using Brazilian Blowout. For more information, go to merchantlaw.com/classactions/bblowout.php.

Doug Schoon, who did the USA testing of Brazilian Blowout for the company, explains in an article found on VietSalon that when formaldehyde is added to water, it turns into a completely different chemical called Methylene Glycol. As a different chemical, it also has different chemical properties. Schoon said that the creators of Methylene Glycol called the chemical Formalin, and this is what is added to beauty products and other health products, causing laboratories to believe formaldehyde has been added to the product when tested.

However, Wise Geek states "Formalin is an aqueous solution of the chemical compound formaldehyde. It typically contains about 40% formaldehyde by volume, and a small amount of stabilizer, usually 10% to 12% methanol."

Formalin was once widely used as an embalming agent at funeral homes, but was discontinued due to health concerns.

After testing found formalin was being used in commercial cooking in Indonesia in 2005, BIMC Hospital issued a bulletin about formalin warning
"Exposure from its gas [the formaldehyde in the formalin] or vapor can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and respiratory tract, causing sneezing, sore throat, larynx constriction, bronchitis and pneumonia. Multiple exposures can lead to asthma. It can also affect the skin, causing dermatitis or allergic reaction.

Serious inhalation or ingestion can cause severe pain with inflammation ulceration and necrosis of the mucous membranes, which line almost every internal organ. This may show as symptoms of nausea, vomiting blood, diarrhea with bloody stool, blood from the urine, acidosis, vertigo, and circulation failure, then death. 30mL is suggested the lethal dose of formalin. The limit allowed in air that is still safe for human is less than 2 ppm."
BIMC Hospital said the effects of ingesting formalin were not known, but food containing formalin is distinctive due to its odd texture.
Health Canada has an information sheet about formaldehyde, stating that most Canadians are exposed to low levels of formaldehyde every day at home. Exposure to very high levels of formaldehyde can cause cancer.

The US Food and Drug Administration is also looking into complaints about Brazilian Blowout reported WAPI 1070.

Adverse reactions to the hair care product can be filed online at healthcanada.gc.ca/reportaproduct. Consumers and health professionals can contact Consumer Product Safety toll free at 1-866-662-0666.

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