Brazilian Blowout maker settles class-action lawsuit

Brazilian Blowout agrees to pay consumers and
stylists who claim they were harmed by the treatment.

The hair-straightening product Brazilian Blowout has been under siege for a while after numerous complaints from users, government inquiries and filed claims.

The reason for all the excitement is the formaldehyde-content in the products, which the company allegedly failed to label correctly.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and a toxic volatile organic compound that is emitted during the hair straightening process when heat is applied to the product in the hair to straighten it.

The company was also the subject of a class-action lawsuit, which it agreed to settle on Monday for about $4.5 million.

The agreement stipulates that consumers that say they were harmed by the product get $35 for each treatment (with a maximum of three per person), while stylists would receive $75 for each bottle of the product they purchased.

The company also has to change its marketing and take off the “formaldehyde-free “claims on the products, while also providing more detailed instructions on safe use.

The company settled another lawsuit earlier this year when it agreed to the California attorney general’s office to pay $600,000 in fees and penalties and to warn consumers about the release of formaldehyde from the product.

The company is still allowed to sell the popular hair straightening product and people are free to use it – but the goal was to make sure they use it in a safe way, litigators said.

Source: New York Times

Chemical concerns in salons and spas

Electrocorp's
CleanBreeze 3
for salons and spas

Formaldehyde is not the only chemical threat in hair salons and spas. Most hair products, including hairsprays, mousses, shampoos and other fragrance-filled treatments emit chemicals, volatile organic compounds and other toxins.

While good ventilation and proper use of the products are essential, many ventilation systems are unable to provide enough fresh air to reduce the chemical concentration in the ambient air.

An industrial-strength air cleaner from Electrocorp can help. Electrocorp has designed air cleaners specifically for the hair salon and spa environment, including nail salons.

The air cleaners are equipped with many pounds of activated carbon, HEPA and other filters to remove the widest range of indoor air pollutants from the ambient air.

Other air cleaners also feature a special source capture attachment to remove toxins right at the source and prevent them from spreading into the space.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and suggestions.
  

Brazilian Blowout maker settles California lawsuit

False labeling and formaldehyde fumes at heart of hair straightening treatment lawsuit

Women love the look of straight, sleek hair - but treatments
may release high levels of formaldehyde, experts warn.

California’s attorney general announced earlier this week that the makers of Brazilian Blowout, a popular hair straightening treatment used in hair salons and spas, will change their labels to alert consumers of formaldehyde emissions.

With this agreement, they are settling a lawsuit that was filed in November against the company for misleading consumers.

The two products, the Brazilian Blowout Acai Smoothing Solution and Brazilian Blowout Professional Smoothing Solution, were labeled as being formaldehyde-free, but tests showed emissions of formaldehyde when the treatments were applied with high heat.

The products may release formaldehyde at levels above OSHA's permissible limits, and according to OSHA can pose health risks to salon workers.

“Salon owners, stylists, and other salon workers have the right know what is in the products that they are buying and using and how to protect their workers and themselves from formaldehyde exposure,” OSHA states on its website.

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.

In the California lawsuit, attorneys sought full disclosure on the labels and fair notice to consumers.

As part of the settlement, the company making Brazilian Blowout will pay $600,000 in penalties and fines for failing to notify consumers about the chemicals and to have the products tested at a state-approved lab.

The company also agreed to provide beauty salons and spas with a pamphlet containing necessary safety precautions when using the products.

With the new labeling and marketing changes, the products will remain on the California market and can still be a health hazard to stylists, salon workers and clients.

Source: The Washington Post

Improve the air quality in salons and spas

A source capture air cleaner:
Clean Breeze 3

Formaldehyde is one indoor air pollutant that can be found in beauty salons and spas, but other chemicals and fumes may also expose workers and clients to health hazards.

Most existing ventilation systems are unable to remove the contaminants and to provide enough fresh air, which is why many stylists and salon owners turn to portable air cleaners to help improve the air quality.

A salon and spa air cleaner needs many pounds of activated carbon and a special carbon blend to be able to remove a wide range of chemicals and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), including formaldehyde, toluene and ethanol.

In salons where many hair straightening, hair dye and other treatments fill the air with harmful chemicals, a specially designed air cleaner with a flexible arm and source capture attachment is needed to remove harmful toxins right as they are released.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and suggestions.
  

Most companies lie about formaldehyde content in hair straightening products: Study

Straight hair may come at a price: Most straighteners contain
more formaldehyde than advertised, a new study claims.

A new study that tested the formaldehyde content in four keratin hair straighteners found that three out of the four products contained more formaldehyde than what was claimed.

The research was done by the San Francisco-based scientific consulting firm, ChemRisk, and published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.

The four products reviewed were:

1. Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution
2. Global Keratin Juvexin Optimized Functional Keratin
3. Coppola Keratin Complex Blonde Formula
4. La-Brasiliana Escluso Keratin Treatment

Out of these four, only La-Brasiliana Escluso Keratin Treatment tested formaldehyde-free as claimed on the product.

Brazilian Blowout was labeled as formaldehyde-free, but contained 11.5% formaldehyde and Coppola contained 3% formaldehyde, the study found. Global Keratin correctly identified its product to contain formaldehyde, but it was more than twice as much as it claimed: 8.3%.

What is formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a cancer-causing chemical that is used in many industries, including the beauty industry and the funeral business (body preserving fluid).

Formaldehyde helps bind keratin to hair and helps straightening it. It is released when hair treated with keratin products is heated with a blow dryer and then with a hot flat iron, as the labeling recommends.

Salon workers using a formaldehyde-releasing hair straightening product have complained about the following health effects:

• Eye and throat irritation
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Burning sensations
• Breathing problems
• Nosebleeds
• Chest pain
• Vomiting 
• Rashes

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel said that formaldehyde is safe in cosmetic products when formulated with minimal effective concentrations. The panel said those concentrations should not exceed 0.2%.

Formaldehyde exposure an occupational hazard

The study examined the occupational health and safety risks for beauty salon stylists and workers by measuring the formaldehyde content over the duration of the treatment and in different parts of the salon.

For the three products that contained formaldehyde, "the highest exposures were measured for the salon worker and client receiving the treatment," said the study's lead author, Jennifer Pierce.

Brazilian Blowout ranked highest in terms of exposure, followed by Global Keratin and Coppola.

The air was tested in a salon with an effective ventilation rate of two to three air replacements per hour.

Source: Los Angeles Times

CleanBreeze 3: Filters out
chemicals, gases and fumes.

Air cleaners for hair salons and spas

Salon hair products like hair straighteners, hair dyes and hair sprays can release harmful pollutants into the ambient air.

Electrocorp has designed air cleaners for hair salons and spas that feature a large activated carbon filter to adsorb chemicals and odors as well as a HEPA filter and pre-filters for the removal of particles and dust.

The stand-alone air cleaners with source capture attachment provide a cost-effective and powerful air cleaning solution to salons and spas where floor space is limited, and Electrocorp also offers source capture solutions that can be incorporated into the design of the salon.

Contact us today for more information and recommendations: 1-866-667-0297.
 

OSHA updates hair treatment hazard alert

Hair salon workers are routinely exposed to
hazardous chemicals and fumes.

The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a revised hazard alert about the formaldehyde fumes released by popular hair straightening treatments with keratin (like Brazilian Blowout, for example).

OSHA first issued a warning about these products in January.

Since then, formaldehyde has been added to the list of carcinogens rather than suspected carcinogens, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also sent a warning letter to the company in question about misbranding and false information.

OSHA conducted air tests in salons using Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution and Brasil Cacau Cadiveu and found that workers were exposed to hazardous levels of formaldehyde.

To make matters worse, two manufacturers and two distributors of hair smoothing products were cited for violations that included failing to list formaldehyde on product labels as well as on accompanying hazard warning sheets (MSDS sheets) that are provided to the products' users.

"Misleading or inadequate information on hazardous product labels is unacceptable," said OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels in the press release.

"Salon owners and workers have the right to know the risks associated with the chemicals with which they work and how to protect themselves."

About formaldehyde: 
Formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and nose; cause allergic reactions of the skin, eyes and lungs; and is a cancer hazard.

For salon owners, stylists and other staff members using these hair products, OSHA's formaldehyde standard at 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910.1048 has to be followed.

View OSHA’s updated alert: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/formaldehyde/hazard_alert.html
View OSHA’s formaldehyde standard: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10075

Air cleaners for beauty salons and spas

Electrocorp has developed a range of industrial-strength air cleaners with a multistage filtration system and source capture attachment for salons and spas.

They are equipped with many pounds of granular activated carbon to remove many chemicals, fumes and odors associated with salon products.

Air cleaner for hair salons and spas:
Electrocorp's CleanBreeze 3

The complete air treatment system also filters out particles, dust and other airborne pollutants such as bacteria, viruses and mold mycotoxins.

The Clean-Breeze 3 is Electrocorp’s first-rate air purifier for salons and spas. Its flexible arm and precision cap captures pollutants at the source to provide employees and clients with safer, more breathable air.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and other options.


Related posts:

• OSHA issues health alert for hair smoothing products
• Hair treatment controversy continues
• FDA cracks down on Brazilian Blowout treatment
• Formaldehyde added to list of cancer-causing agents

FDA cracks down on Brazilian Blowout hair treatment

Keratin hair treatments may release
formaldehyde fumes.

After health warnings and hazard alerts from organizations such as OSHA (the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration) about the potential dangers from chemicals released by popular hair smoothing and hair straightening products such as Brazilian Blowout, the US Food and Drug Administration is entering the ring.

The FDA has sent a warning letter to the makers of Brazilian Blowout, saying that the product contains the liquid form of formaldehyde, which has been classified as a carcinogen.

Most at risk are the stylists that are regularly applying the product on clients’ hair and inhaling the fumes that are released in the process.

FDA specifically warned the company that its product is misbranded when it says that there is “No Formaldehyde” or that it is “Formaldehyde Free.”

The manufacturer of Brazilian Blowout has until mid-September to address the violations cited by the FDA or risk having its product seized.

Salon workers using the hair straightening product have complained about the following possible health effects:

• Eye and throat irritation
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Burning sensations
• Breathing problems
• Nosebleeds
• Chest pain
• Vomiting 
• Rashes

The cancer-causing chemical formaldehyde is released when hair treated with Brazilian Blowout is heated with a blow dryer and then with a hot flat iron, as the product's labeling recommends.

The formaldehyde helps bind keratin to hair and helps straightening it. FDA’s analysis found that the level of formaldehyde in the product was as high as the embalming fluid used in funeral homes – and way past the level that is considered safe.

0.2 % is considered "safe" -- Brazilian Blowout
contains as much as 10.4% formaldehyde

Brazilian Blowout has already been banned in Canada.

Source: Time Healthland


Air cleaners for hair salons and spas

The CleanBreeze 3 captures toxins
right at the source with a flexible arm.

It’s not only keratin-based hair products that release toxic chemicals when used – any hair products with fragrance, hair dyes and hair sprays can release harmful pollutants into the ambient air.

Electrocorp has designed a number of air cleaners for hair salons and spas that feature a large activated carbon filter to adsorb chemicals and odors as well as a HEPA filter and pre-filters for the removal of particles and dust.

The stand-alone air cleaners with source capture attachment provide a cost-effective and powerful air cleaning solution to salons and spas where floor space is limited, and Electrocorp also offers source capture solutions that can be incorporated into the design of the salon.

Contact us today for more information and recommendations: 1-866-667-0297.