43 hair products tested: Researchers find cancer-linked chemicals in braiding hair

A Silent Spring Institute study raised alarm about chemicals lurking in everyday beauty products, particularly hair extensions worn by millions of women. Chemist Elissia Franklin tested 43 braiding hair products and discovered that flame retardants and organotin compounds and phthalate chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm were present in the products.

Franklin's study originated from her realisation that her coworkers were attempting to rid house couches of flame retardants when women use flame-retardant braiding hair on their heads.

"If they're trying to get rid of flame retardants from couches, why do we so intimately use these products in our everyday lives?" she asked.

The findings extend beyond braiding hair. The cosmetic chemist Ami Zota showed that all people who use cosmetics will experience chemical exposure through their use of soap and lotion and toothpaste.

However, FDA regulation remains minimal and largely voluntary. Testing focuses on short-term reactions like rashes rather than long-term cancer risk or reproductive damage.

There is little government funding and regulation for the FDA. Most testing is done by corporations themselves, looking at single ingredients as opposed to their collective effect.

This approach does not protect consumers from potentially dangerous preservatives, formaldehyde donors, and various other toxins found within daily-use products.

An example of this would be lotion. Franklin stated that lotions typically have many preservatives in order to remain shelf-stable, including formaldehyde donors. Because the lotion stays on the skin without being washed off, the longer exposure time increases the danger. Applications such as Clearya and Skin Deep make understanding chemical ingredients easier. But the real safeguard lies in consumers’ knowledge and company responsibility.