The makers of Brazilian Blowout are selling a harmful product and lying about it, according to a warning issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
We’ve reported previously on Brazilian Blowout, a hair straightening treatment favored by Jennifer Aniston, Lindsay Lohan, and Reese Witherspoon. Its distributor, GIB, LLC, claims that Brazilian Blowout is safe because it contains no formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing chemical. That claim has been challenged by foreign governments and state public health officials.
Now the FDA has issued a warning letter to GIB, LLC, alleging two violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. First, the FDA says Brazilian Blowout contains a “poisonous or deleterious substance” that may injure users when used as intended. Specifically, the FDA found that Brazilian Blowout is 8.7% to 10.4% liquid formaldehyde. When hair treated with Brazilian Blowout is heated with a blow dryer or drying iron, it releases formaldehyde, which can be inhaled, harming the eyes, respiratory tract, and nervous system.
Second, the FDA challenges the product labels claiming that Brazilian Blowout is “Formaldehyde Free” and contains “No Formaldehyde.” The FDA says that claim is false or misleading.
In its August 22, 2011 letter, FDA Acting Director Michael W. Roosevelt urged GIB to “take prompt action to correct the violations.” Don’t hold your breath (unless you are a salon worker who applies Brazilian Blowout). The Brazilian Blowout web site claims that the company is “now working directly with the FDA to clear up the controversy.” The company says it wants to “clear up misinformation” about Brazilian Blowout – a far cry from acknowledging the problem and fixing it.