All products contained at least 1 of 19 targeted fragrances, while “hair lotions, root stimulators, and hair relaxers contained multiple fragrance chemicals per product, with an average of five to eight targeted fragrance chemicals detected per product versus an average of two in the anti-frizz products.”
How do the findings compare with previous research? “They’re roughly consistent with what’s been found before, but potentially on the higher end,” Dr. Helms said. “For some of these chemicals, there’s not a lot of data from the past.”
Most of the chemicals aren’t listed on product labels, Dr. Helm said. “It’s possible that some of the ingredients were unintentionally added as part of manufacturing or other processes.”
Dr. Helm urged physicians to consider the connections between hair care products and chemical exposure. “Maybe there’s an opportunity to use fewer products,” she said.