On Wednesday, October 16, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) issued a warning about the risks associated with hair straightening products containing glyoxylic acid.
Since the beginning of the year, ANSES has received four reports of acute renal failure following the application of these products. As a precautionary measure, ANSES, DGCCRF, and DGS are informing professionals in hair salons and cosmetic product stores, as well as users, about the potential risk of acute renal failure associated with the application of straightening products containing glyoxylic acid.
Glyoxylic acid is a chemical substance used in certain cosmetic products for its smoothing qualities. According to researchers, acute renal failure was linked to the formation of oxalic acid crystals in the renal tubules, these crystals being induced by acid absorbed by the scalp and skin during straightening.
This ingredient is reported in the COSING database with these characteristics; however, the European cosmetics regulation does not currently restrict the use of glyoxylic acid, and the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has not yet issued an opinion on its safety.
Wishing to draw attention to a health risk that might be underestimated because it is little known, the French Academy of Medicine:
– Recommends to release alert and information messages to health professionals, hairdressing salons and businesses selling these acid-based cosmetic products, to make them aware of these risks of acute kidney failure manifesting within 24 to 48 hours after applying the product.
– Emphasizes the importance of informing users about the risks of frequent use of these straightening products, and about the signs of an acute kidney failure, especially acute abdominal pain, nausea, rapid onset vomiting.
– Emphasizes also the importance of not performing hair straightening or “peeling” in the event of scalp or facial skin damage, which increases the penetration of glyoxylic acid and glycolic acid.
– Recommends, taking into account the first alerts published, to develop cosmetovigilance to assess the frequency of risk linked to the use of products based on glyoxylic and glycolic acids, and to establish a profile of patients most at risk.
So, are you selling hair straightenings? Here is our advice!
Make sure your product has a correct safety assessment ensuring your product is safe when used in a normal and reasonably predictable way.
Choose the right Glyoxylic Acid and use it correctly:
- The concentration must not exceed 15 % in the final product;
- Ensure the supplier controls the limit of Glyoxal in the raw material.
According to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of 30 of November 2009 and Commission Regulation (EU) No 344/2013 of 4 April 2013 amending Annexes II, III, V and VI to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Glyoxal is included in the list of substances (Annex III) which cosmetics products must not contain except subject to the restrictions laid down:
- Maximum concentration in ready for use preparation: 100 mg/kg..
Use the correct precautions of use in the labeling, informing the consumer about the risks of the product. It is also necessary to inform the professionals how to correctly apply the product: do the strand test before applying all the products. Apply the product 1 cm from the root, do not apply if the scalp is irritated.
The consumer should be informed that the procedure should not be carried out too often and that they should wait at least 3 months before having it done again.
Correct training must be given to the professionals, in order to use the product correctly and safely.
Cosmetovigilance to assess the frequency of risk linked to the use of products must be performed by the Responsible Person.
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