While Brazilian Blowout Legal Tangles Continue, Salons Left Unprotected

Hair is probably standing on end right about now for the folks behind the Brazilian Blowout. Their product, touted as a "formaldehyde-free" option for hair straightening, hit some snags recently when Oregon researchers found it actually contains formaldehyde. This came as a surprise since formaldehyde wasn't listed at all on the company's products. "The 56 Brazilian Blowout samples tested had the highest readings of the chemical — even though 37 of those samples were labeled “formaldehyde free," the researchers said.

This potent ingredient, in addition to straightening hair, is used for things like embalming and sterilizing, was causing salon stylists to have nosebleeds, eye irritations and breathing problems. It is a known carcinogen, a cancer-causing agent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).

Although stylists haven't taken to marching in the streets with their scissors and blow dryers, there has been a strong public reaction since this news broke. The California Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the makers of Brazilian Blowout, arguing it had an unfair business advantage by claiming it was formaldehyde-free and also in violation of the state's Proposition 65, which requires companies to warn consumers about possible carcinogens in products. There's an effort to have OSHA regulate the formaldehyde-containing product. Canada has taken it one step further by banning the product.

But, the makers of Brazilian Blowout, GIB, are in knots over the charges and legal actions. The company has filed a lawsuit against the Oregon OSHA division, claiming the original "findings about the product are based on misleading test results, and that the agency’s statements have caused irreparable damage to the business."

That's an interesting statement, given that even the American Chemistry Council has backed Oregon OSHA's tests and methods.

Brazilian Blowout is doing more harm than a bad hair day. Thousands of salon employees are regularly exposed to this dangerous product without proper oversight or regulation. While the Brazilian Blowout mess makes it way through the legal system, you can get involved by asking OSHA to regulate formaldehyde hair products.