It sounds like a World Cup Soccer match result, but in fact, Brazilian Blowout is a hair-straightening product. And thanks to a wave of unpleasant responses to its use, the FDA has issued a warning letter to its manufacture.
Because it contains chemicals that become formaldehyde when heated – thanks, for example, to a hair dryer – and because formaldehyde can cause eye irritation, blurred vision, headaches, faining, chest pains and breathing difficulty, this is probably not a product with which you want to establish a close, personal, ongoing relationship.
According to AboutLawsuits.com, formaldehyde is classified as a probable carcinogen by the EPA and is considered a known carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Enough people with straight hair but compromised health have suffered its ill effects that in November, the National Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance sent a letter to the FDA and another to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) seeking a recall of Brazilian Blowout to protect salon workers and customers.
In its warning, the FDA said “Brazilian Blowout is misbranded because its label and labeling (including instructions for use) makes misleading statements regarding the product’s ingredients and fails to reveal material facts with respect to consequences that may result from the use of the product.”
The manufacturer has until this week to respond to the warning letter. It could face enforcement action by the FDA, meaning seizure of the products and a court order to stop them from doing business.