Brazilian Blowout Possibly Linked To Cancer

Oh damn. The popular hair-straightening treatment from Brazil called the Brazilian Blowout uses formaldehyde which has been linked to cancer. To be clear, there is a brand called Brazilian Blowout and there are other brands, but in America, people tend to call the treatment by that name. Some of the other brands of hair straightener may have higher levels of formaldehyde than the brand called Brazilian Blowout. The ones with high levels have been banned in some states and in Canada and France. The Brazilian Blowout brand says that air sample tests from Oregon found "formaldehyde exposure levels safely below OSHA's Action Level" in their product, but the California attorney general filed a lawsuit alleging the Brazilian Blowout brand has high levels of formaldehyde despite claims on its advertising and website.

A class-action suit was also filed in California against the company saying they lead customers to believe Brazilian Blowout (the brand) is made with natural ingredients without the use of formaldehyde or other harsh chemicals. Indeed, a quote from their site about one of their products, Brazilian Blowout ZERO, says:

Brazilian Blowout ZERO is formulated with a breakthrough Plant-Derived KeraSafe Bonding System. This bonding system releases 0% Formaldehyde before, during or after the in-salon smoothing treatment.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is still investigating whether the product is safe enough for consumers.

Source: AP