EVALUATION OF FORMALDEHYDE’S LEVEL IN SAMPLES OF HAIR STRAIGHTENING PRODUCTS USED IN HAIR SALONS IN PEDRO GOMES, MS, BRAZIL

Abstract

The demand for beauty products has been increasing, especially for hair straightening products. Among the different substances that can be used, the formaldehyde stands out, and it is applied with the purpose of increasing both the durability and the quality of the hair straightening. However, we have known since 2009 that the use of the 0.2% concentration of formaldehyde is allowed only for the conservation of the product. Therefore, this research aimed to examine the formaldehyde’s level in hair straightening products in beauty salons of Pedro Gomes, MS. In order to do that, 28 samples of 20 different brands were collected in 6 distinct beauty salons. In the products’ analysis, we used the colourimetric method stipulated by Anvisa’s Quality Control Guidelines and also the acetylacetone’s reaction method. As a result, we found out that 12 out of the 28 samples had formaldehyde’s level above the one permitted by Anvisa. For this reason, not only the people who work in the salons but also the clients can be exposed to health problems. Therefore, it is important that the regulatory agencies conduct inspections so that these beauty products can be removed from the market in order to protect people’s health.