Is your favorite shampoo causing hair loss or is it just a trend?

 

                                                                      (Shampoo bottle by: Charisse Kenion https://unsplash.com/s/photos/shampoo)

    Shampoo, conditioner, lotion are all beauty products that many of us use on a regular basis. Like many people I don't pay close attention to what is in these products. It wasn't until a controversial chemical called DMDM Hydantoin came up on my for you page on tik tok that I decided to look into it. People claim that it causes hair loss and scalp burns. So why is it in our products? DMDM Hydantoin is a common preservative used in beauty products and it protects us from harmful yeast, mold and bacteria that can grow in these products. I was wondering if this preservative is toxic. It is something called a formaldehyde donor in which it releases a small, non toxic amount of formaldehyde to defend against harmful bacteria in beauty products.  Although it does produce formaldehyde it is such a small amount that it causes no harm to the human body. The most interesting thing is that the type of formaldehyde released is identical to the formaldehyde produced by humans and plants. It is important to make note that it is considered an allergen, Which means that a person can have an allergic reaction to the preservative. There are some alternatives that can be used instead, some of these can include other preservatives or you could go all natural and not use any preservatives. These can have their own positives and negatives while other preservatives could work they might not be as effective. Some of the positives of using no preservatives is that it could be considered natural but the products will spoil quickly. DMDM Hydantoin is a very effective product because it extends the shelf life of personal care products and effectively prevents harmful yeast bacteria and mold. Most shampoos wont cause hair loss as there is no scientific evidence that DMDM Hydantoin does this, and is approved safe around the world. After researching I can say that you don't need to throw away you shampoo if it works for you.

References

    National Center for Biotechnology Information (2021). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 22947. Retrieved February 8, 2021 from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/DMDM-Hydantoin.

chemical of the day. (2009, June 22). DMDM Hydantoin. Chemical of the day. Retrieved February 1, 2021, from http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/todays-chemical/2009/6/22/dmdm-hydantoin.html

Chemsafety facts. (n.d.). DMDM Hydantoin. Chem Safety facts. Retrieved February 1, 2021, from https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/dmdm-hydantoin-2/

EWG skin deep. (n.d.). DMDM Hydantoin. EWG skin deep. Retrieved February 1, 2021, from https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/702196-DMDM_HYDANTOIN/

Henn, J. L. (2020, December 18). TRESemme class action law suite claims shampoo causes hair loss and scalp burns. Top class actions. Retrieved February 1, 2021, from https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/beauty-products/class-action-lawsuit-claims-maker-of-tresemme-liable-for-hair-loss-scalp-burns/

Microchem laboratory. (n.d.). Five most common types of preservatives used in cosmetics. Microchem laboratory. Retrieved February 1, 2021, from https://microchemlab.com/information/five-most-common-types-preservatives-used-cosmetics