European Commission considers formaldehyde equivalent unsafe for use in hair straighteners

The European Commission (EC) considers methylene glycol/formaldehyde at 0.2% formaldehyde equivalent to be unsafe in hair straightener, according to cosmeticsdesign-europe.com..

Methylene glycol or hydrated formaldehyde is created by dissolving formaldehyde in water and exists in equilibrium with formaldehyde in aqueous solutions, the commission said.

Methylene glycol when heated up to 230 degrees by straightening irons and/or blow drying produces gaseous formaldehyde.

According to the commission, the formaldehyde is restricted for use in cosmetic products,and methylene glycol is not certainly included in these entries, therefore the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) was asked to review the ingredient.

SCCS has revealed that its use in hair straightening products at a concentration of 0.2%, the amount of gaseous formaldehyde released may exceed 0.1 mg/m³ (0.08 ppm), which is the WHO indoor air quality guideline for short-term exposure.

SCCS said it is justified to consider the aqueous mixture of gaseous formaldehyde and methylene glycol as free formaldehyde and the quantities as formaldehyde equivalents in aqueous solutions.

The EC said although formaldehyde and methylene glycol are different molecules from a scientific chemical point of view, there is a close interrelationship of formaldehyde and methylene glycol in aqueous solution and a rapid mutual conversion in a dynamic equilibrium.

The hair straightening products manufacturers have argued that methylene glycol is chemically different from formaldehyde and free formaldehyde is only present in trace amounts in the hair straightening products.