healthbrief
State Warns of Hazardous Hair Products
localresources
Safe and Natural Hair Straightening
Brazilian Blowdry Products Found to Contain Formaldehyde
M any salon
treatments are well worth the ex-
pense, but one popular treat- ment may come at a cost that health-conscious women aren’t willing to pay. According to the New York State Department of
Health (NYSDOH), a group of hair straightening products known as
Brazilian Keratin Treatment (BKT) may contain formaldehyde, a probable human carcinogen. In tests conducted by Oregon OSHA,
Health Canada, and the European Directorate- General of Health and Consumer Affairs, formaldehyde was found in a number of BKT products. “There are more than 150 hair straightening products on the market, and we do not know how many others may contain formaldehyde,” the NYSDOH warns on its website. “You can’t count on the label.” (To see a list, visit
Health.NY.gov/environmental/chemi- cals/formaldehyde/consumer.) According to the NYSDOH, a woman can breathe formaldehyde fumes when one of these products is applied to her hair or that of an- other customer, or when the product is heated on her hair with a high-temperature blow-dryer or flatiron. Her exposure to formaldehyde may continue until the product is washed out of her hair. She risks similar exposure if she uses at- home BKT products.
For more info, call the NYSDOH at 518.402.7900 or 800.458.1158.
N
ature’s Or- ganic Hair and
Helen Ting with a customer at her studio, Nature’s Organic Hair and Wellness Studio
Wellness Studio in Shrub Oak, NY, now offers an organic, permanent keratin straighten- ing system. Studio owner Helen Thaler says she uses a system free from harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, thioglycolates, am- monia and sodium hydroxide, which are as bad for the hair as they are for the customer. “The system we use is instead formulated with cysteamine, keratin—the protein naturally found in hair—and natural and organic oils and extracts. The hair is therefore
strengthened as part of the straightening process,” she says. The studio also offers an organic keratin blow out, a hair restora- tion and smoothing treatment that tames frizz and calms curls for three to five months. “This is a protein treatment which leaves most hair types silky smooth and makes daily blow-drying nearly effortless,” she says. “It allows you to keep the natural youthful integrity of your hair follicles without the damaging effects of corrosive chemicals that other keratin treatments use to bond the protein to your hair.” The studio’s manicures and pedicures use include nontoxic nail polish and organic skin lotion, she says.
Currently Nature’s Organic Hair and Wellness studio is offering a 50
percent discount on haircuts with a hair color, perm or hair straighten- ing treatment. Its organic facials are $75 and up; cosmetic acupuncture is offered at a special summer price of $65 from May through July; and a one-hour massage/acupuncture combination is $65 (offered by a New York-licensed massage therapist and acupuncturist).
Read more Health Briefs on page 18. 34 Westchester/Putnam NY Edition
Nature’s Organic Hair and Wellness Studio is located at 1220 North Ridge Rd., Shrub Oak. To make an appointment, call 914.528.8770. See ad, page 30.
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