The popular
treatment to straighten curly & knotty hair has been confirmed by the FDA
of having the dangerous chemical formaldehyde as an ingredient. Formaldehyde is
mostly known as embalming fluid when preserving bodies for burial. I looked up
the MSDS or Material Safety Data Sheet for this chemical and I wasn’t surprised
at the effects it can have on humans. So, many have the desire for long beautiful straight hair, but how much are you willing to pay for straight hair? Your health? I found the original story here on MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44428236#.TmfennONp9A.
So, if you
don’t know what formaldehyde is he is a brief intro to this chemical.
Formaldehyde
MSDS: http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9924095
Formaldehyde
is a flammable, colorless and pungent smelling substance that is used in a
variety of ways from preserving dead bodies, making cigarettes, making many
materials used to build homes & buildings. This substance is also a known
cancer causing agent called a carcinogen and has been linked to several
different types of cancer. Cancers like leukemia and lung cancer are common
diseases that are associated with exposure to formaldehyde. (Formaldehyde and
cancer)
Long term and
short term exposure to this chemical can cause a lifetime of ailments. Chronic
or extreme effects of this chemical on people include:
- Birth defects
- Reproductive issues
- Skin burns & discoloration
- Irritation to the respiratory tract
- Bronchitis
- Convulsions
- Headaches
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Kidney issues
And the list
can go on. So why would someone put this chemical in our hair products or any
other products we may handle on a day to day basis? (Formaldehyde material safety)
The reason
why cosmetic manufacturers are allowed to use such harsh chemicals is because
the cosmetic industry is not regulated by the FDA. Other chemicals just as
dangerous as formaldehyde are used in product we use every day, but because it
works for us we never bother to question why this chemical are in my products.
We can’t
demand safe products until we the people hold the companies accountable for
using the dangerous substances that they use. In the black community our hair
and skin products are laced with chemicals galore and no one says a thing. When
a person does question the integrity of the ingredients in a product amongst
peers, the person becomes the adversary and common responses from the sleepers
are we’ll all die from something or we’ve been using it all this time and
nothing has happen. Yet, the truth is lots of things have happen, but we don’t
ever think it’s the products we use.
Formaldehyde
used in a hair treatment is very scary to me because the product is placed on
your head which comes in contact with your scalp and is then absorbed through
your skin that covers blood vessels and veins attached to your brain! When will
the black community take responsibility for accepting whatever is handed to us?
This is more than a corporate integrity problem this is a communal knowledge problem.
People in the
black hair world get all up tight when you mention ingredients you shouldn’t
use on your hair and body, but shouldn’t they be rejoicing that someone is
warning them about the effects of products they use every day.
How may wake
up calls will it take before we take a stand against the use of anything in
cosmetics….Today I’m taking a stand, what about you?
References
Formaldehyde
material saftey data sheet. (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9924095
Formaldehyde and
cancer risk. (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/formaldehyde
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