IQ 101: The Stuff in Your Stuff | Formaldehyde

This is part 3 in our little class about Chemicals of Interest. 

You have probably heard about this one in TV shows and movies. It is a potent chemical that knocks you out. But did you know that you can also find formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing preservatives in shampoos and liquid soaps?

The purpose of this chemical is to prevent bacteria growth in water based products but they have also been linked to skin sensitivity and cancer.

What it does to you:

Cancer

• A known human carcinogen by many expert and government bodies, including the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.  

• A recent review of the literature on occupational exposures and formaldehyde shows a link between formaldehyde and leukemia.

• When formaldehyde is present in personal care products, people can be exposed by inhaling the formaldehyde that is off-gassed from the product, by ingesting it or by absorbing it through the skin. 

• Animal studies indicate that formaldehyde can be absorbed through the skin when formaldehyde-containing personal care products, including formaldehyde releasing preservatives, are applied.

Where it is found in your home:

• Nail polishes
• Nail glues
• Eyelash glues
• Hair gels
• Hair Smoothing Products
• Baby Shampoo
• Baby Soap
• Body Wash

The European Union restricts the use of formaldehyde in personal care products, and requires that products with formaldehyde or formaldehyde-release ingredients carry the label “contains formaldehyde.” Canada also restricts the concentration of formaldehyde, and it is banned from use in cosmetics and toiletries in both Japan and Sweden.

Check the following names to see if they are in your stuff:

• Quaternium-15
• Dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM) hydantoin
• Imidazolidinyl urea
• Diazolidinyl urea
• Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
• 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bronopol)
• Formalin
• Methylaldehyde
• Oxymethyline
• Methylene Oxude
• Formic Aldehyde
• Phenol Formaldehyde

Since low levels of formaldehyde can cause health concerns – at levels as low as 250 parts per million, and even lower levels in sensitized individuals – the slow release of small amounts of formaldehyde are cause for concern.

The concern is so real that Johnson and Johnson pledged to remove formaldehyde from all their products last year. While this is good news and a signal to others to move in the right direction, consumers must know that FMCG companies tend to play the name game when it comes to ingredients. While it may be true they have left out formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasing preservatives are a different story. The truth only comes out in lab tests.