Severely straightened hair ala Hollywood movie star-style may be wildly popular right now, but there’s a downside to the “Brazilian blowout” that the Office of Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) wants you to know about. According to Time Healthland, the chemicals needed to achieve this ultra-straight-hair look include formaldehyde, which has been linked to allergies, blistered skin and other serious reactions. And often, workers in salons don’t know that they and their clients are being exposed to this dangerous situation. Time Healthland said:

“California says that state testing has shown that Brazilian Blowout Smoothing Solution contains approximately 8 percent formaldehyde by weight, which ‘is in the range typical of embalming fluid used by funeral homes.’”

Canada pulled products like this off the shelves six months ago. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates cosmetics, hasn’t taken that step yet. And for activists, Time Healthland said, this points out yet another problem in the U.S.: regulation of the cosmetics industry is fundamentally lacking.

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