Brazilian Blowout

A hair stylist in British Columbia, Canada initiated a class-action lawsuit against the manufacturer. In October 2010, Health Canada warned Canadians that Brazilian Blowout Solution manufactured by Brazilian Blowout of California has been found to contain unacceptable levels of formaldehyde. Testing conducted by Health Canada and Oregon OHSA has shown that Brazilian Blowout products contain between 6 percent and 12 percent formaldehyde.

(California and federal regulations require disclosure when formaldehyde content exceeds 0.1%. Formaldehyde is permitted in cosmetics at less than 0.2 percent when used as a preservative.)

The owners of Streaks Hair Salon in Modesto, CA had Brazilian Blowout tested at a lab in Rancho Cordova. California Laboratory Services reportedly found that the sample of Brazilian Blowout tested contained about 13 percent formaldehyde. However, the makers of Brazilian Blowout hair treatment said the test used to determine the 13 percent formaldehyde in its products was incorrect.

The Brazilian hair manufacturer insisted that its product was free of formaldehyde, but after following testing by the manufacturer, admitted that formaldehyde content amounted to .0011 percent of volume in each bottle.

The manufacturer used a test known as13C-NMR to measure the presence of formaldehyde in its Brazilian hair-straightening treatment, but according to a chemist at the University of the Pacific (UOP) the 13C-NMR test is the incorrect test for that purpose, and cannot accurately detect formaldehyde.

Brazilian Blowout side effects include burning eyes, nose, and throat, breathing difficulties, and one report of hair loss associated with use of the product. Formaldehyde, which is used commercially as embalming fluid, is a known irritant, sensitizer, and is linked to cancer in humans when inhaled chronically over a long period of time.

Health Canada believes that the reactions are being caused by formaldehyde becoming aerosolized during the blow drying and flat ironing stages of the treatment. Any procedure containing formaldehyde above the allowable limits places clients and stylists at increased risk.

The Brazilian Blowout hair smoothing treatment is available at salons across the US and Canada. The product is used to turn frizzy or damaged hair "silky and lustrous". Hair stylists wash and towel dry clients' hair, apply the liquid Brazilian Blowout, blow-dry the hair, then pull a flat iron heated to 450 degrees from the roots to the ends. They rinse hair in warm water, apply a solution called a mask for 60 seconds, rinse again, comb in Brazilian Blowout leave-in conditioner and style hair as usual. After applying Brazilian Blowout treatment about 20 times to clients, one stylist reported a nosebleed and informed her clients she would no longer offer Brazilian Blowout.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a US federal agency that regulates workplace safety and health, issued an alert warning September 30, 2010 that samples of Brazilian Blowout and Acai Professional Smoothing Solution, which is sold by the same company, contained high levels of formaldehyde.

Brazilian Blowout Legal Help

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