Brazilian Blowout, the Los Angeles-based producer of the highly popular and high-priced hair straightening service of the same name, is being called into question by the Oregon Health & Science University’s Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology (CROET), a health and safety center housed within OHSU in Portland, Ore.
The center has issued two public alerts regarding the possible negative health impacts of the Brazilian Blowout based on samples from two Portland-area salons where different formulations of the product contained between 4.85 percent and 10.6 percent formaldehyde. In response to these findings, CROET has posted the alert on its Web site, contacted and shared its findings with the Food and Drug Administration as well as the California Department of Public Health, the state where the company is based.
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Calls to Mike Brady, Brazilian Blowout’s chief executive officer, were not returned by press time.
The Los Angeles-based company issued a release on its Web site, stating that “the actual source of the formulation tested has not been identified, and was not submitted by the Brazilian Blowout company itself…and because OSHA did not request a sample from the company directly, there is no reason to believe that the formulation tested and found positive for traces of formaldehyde was indeed Brazilian Blowout product.”
At least two high-end Manhattan salons have ceased offering the Brazilian Blowout, which can cost as much as $400. Sources said Frédéric Fekkai has stopped using the process and John Barrett posted a sign in his salon early this morning, alerting customers that “In light of ingredient uncertainty we have decided to discontinue the Brazilian Blowout service.”