Formaldehyde Levels Found in Hair Salons

Hair products may contain or release a chemical called formaldehyde. In 2011, Federal OSHA found that stylists in three salons using either Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution or Cadiveu Brasil Cacau were exposed to formaldehyde above OSHA's 15-minute short term exposure limit (STEL) of 2 parts formaldehyde per million parts air (ppm), putting their health at risk (see graphic). In one salon, formaldehyde levels during the blow drying phase of treatment were measured at five times the OSHA STEL. All three salons were issued OSHA citations and two were issued fines for failing to protect workers from the health risks of formaldehyde. In addition, OSHA issued citations and fines to other salons using products that contained or could release formaldehyde because they did not follow the requirements in OSHA's formaldehyde standard to test the air to determine formaldehyde levels and to provide workers training and information on the health hazards and signs and symptoms of exposure to formaldehyde. Federal OSHA issued additional citations to 37 salons (including beauty schools) and 9 distributors/manufacturers in fiscal years (FY) 2011 and 2012.

Based on air testing and product sampling, OSHA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), California OSHA, and the California Department of Public Health have all issued warnings and/or citations to smoothing product manufacturers for violating rules for formaldehyde labeling. Oregon OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have also found that certain hair smoothing products contain or release formaldehyde. The Connecticut Department of Public Health, New York State Health Department, and Health Canada have also issued health warnings to salons and consumers about formaldehyde in hair smoothing products.

For more information about the emerging issue of formaldehyde exposure from hair products, visit the following pages:

• OSHA's Hazard Alert, Hair Smoothing Products that Could Contain Formaldehyde
• Government Response, which details actions OSHA and other agencies have taken
• More Information, which provides links to OSHA resources, other government resources, and news articles regarding formaldehyde in hair smoothing products.

Health Risks of Formaldehyde

If you work with hair products that contain formaldehyde, you can be exposed to the chemical by:

• Breathing it in through your nose and mouth
• Getting it on your skin
• Getting it in your eyes or mouth

Formaldehyde is a known cancer-causing substance. Exposure to formaldehyde can also cause:

• Eye irritation and damage, including blindness.
• Nose irritation, including bloody noses.
• Skin sensitivity, rashes, and itching.
• Breathing difficulties, such as coughing and wheezing.

Levels of formaldehyde above 0.1 ppm in the air can irritate your nose, throat, and lungs. These symptoms will get worse as formaldehyde levels go up.

For more information about formaldehyde, the hazards it presents, and related standards and requirements, visit Protecting Worker Health and OSHA's formaldehyde page.

How to Know if Products Contain or Release Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a strong-smelling gas used in many products. Hair products may have formaldehyde dissolved (and chemically reacted) in water and often the reacted formaldehyde is called methylene glycol.

Even smoothing products that do not list formaldehyde on the label, or that claim to be "formaldehyde free" or "no formaldehyde," can still expose workers to formaldehyde. Some products violate regulations by not listing their formaldehyde content on the label, and some contain other substances that can release formaldehyde during use, typically when the product is heated, such as during flat-ironing or blow-drying.

Under OSHA standards, all of these substances are subject to the same rules as formaldehyde. When they are present in products above certain levels, OSHA requires formaldehyde hazards to be listed on labels and in material safety data sheets (MSDSs), documents that explain the health hazards of products that contain hazardous chemicals and the recommended safe practices for working with them.  OSHA has cited several manufacturers and distributors for incorrectly labeling their products "formaldehyde-free" or by not including formaldehyde on the label when it was in the product.

OSHA has identified several brand-name products that contain formaldehyde or that can expose you to formaldehyde during use, even though they may not list formaldehyde on their labels or MSDSs:

Brazilian Blowout

• Acai Professional Smoothing Solution (FDA Warning Letter)
• Professional Brazilian Blowout Solution

Cadiveu

• Brasil Cacau
• Acai Therapy

Copomon/Coppola

• Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy
  • Natural Keratin Smoothing Treatment
  • Natural Keratin Smoothing Treatment Blonde
  • Express Blow Out

Marcia Teixeira

• Brazilian Keratin Treatment
• Advanced Brazilian Keratin Treatment
• Chocolate Extreme De-Frizzing Treatment
• Soft Gentle Smoothing Treatment
• Soft Chocolate Gentle Smoothing Treatment

Oregon OSHA's report on Hair Smoothing Products and ChemRisk, LLC's journal article include the names of additional products that have been shown to contain formaldehyde.

For more information on identifying formaldehyde in hair smoothing products, visit the Formaldehyde in Your Products page.

Protecting Worker Health: What OSHA Requires

When possible, salon owners, beauty schools, and workers should avoid using products containing formaldehyde, methylene glycol, other ingredients that are treated as formaldehyde under OSHA regulations. Hair product companies are now making and selling products that they claim do not contain formaldehyde in the solution. Choosing one of these products can help to reduce the risk of exposure to formaldehyde. Check the labels or MSDSs to see what chemicals products contain, but remember companies do not always properly list formaldehyde on labels.

If salon owners decide to use products that may contain or release formaldehyde, then they must follow the requirements in OSHA's formaldehyde and hazard communication standards to protect worker safety. Requirements include steps such as testing salon air during treatments to determine formaldehyde levels, providing adequate ventilation and appropriate personal protective equipment for workers performing treatments, and training workers on the hazards of formaldehyde. Failure to follow the requirements of the formaldehyde and hazard communication standards has consequences. In FY2011 and FY2012, Federal OSHA issued citations to 40 salons (including beauty schools) and 9 distributors/manufacturers with fines as high as $17,500 for failing to protect workers from over exposure and potential exposures to formaldehyde, including:

• Failure to protect workers from over exposures to formaldehyde,
• Failure to protect workers from possible exposure to formaldehyde, and
• Failure to provide workers with information about other hazardous chemicals, besides formaldehyde.

Salon workers should also be familiar with the contents of the products they use, the hazards those products present, and the steps they can take to help reduce their exposure to formaldehyde, such as wearing protective equipment and properly cleaning up spills.

Salon owners and workers can request the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, at no cost, to help identify and correct any health hazard in the workplace through its Health Hazard Evaluation Program. Contact NIOSH at 1-800-CDC-INFO [1-800-232-4636].

For more information on salon and beauty school owner responsibilities and safety tips for workers, visit the Protecting Worker Health page.