“It is urgent to regulate” the use of glyoxylic acid in products used to do Brazilian hair straightening, warns Laurence Coiffard, professor of cosmetology at the University of Nantes, on Wednesday, October 16 on franceinfo. The French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety
“Glyoxylic acid is not known to the general public,” explains Laurence Coiffard. “It is a rather mysterious and very rare ingredient” which is “absolutely not regulated” . She also warns against glycolic acid “which is very common in anti-aging or acne products”. This component can metabolize [transform] into glyoxylic acid.
“Beware of substitutes”
With European regulations, “overall the compositions of cosmetics are safe” and “manufacturing is controlled”, according to the researcher. But ” there are limits”, she warns. “Glyoxylic acid was introduced into this type of shampoo to replace formaldehyde, which is irritating, allergenic and carcinogenic” , she explains. “We must be careful about the substitutes we choose.”
In France, four cases of kidney failure linked to glyoxylic acid present in Brazilian straightening products have been recorded since the beginning of 2024. The General Directorate of Health and Fraud Control advises against using these products. “Glyoxylic acid will cause, when it passes into the blood, the formation of small crystals in the kidneys and it is these crystals that will block the kidney,” explains Dr. Juliette Bloch, director of alerts at Anses. “Drinking a lot will dilute them, flush them out and kidney function will return to normal ,” she adds.
In most cases there are no after-effects, but you should consult a doctor quickly if you start to feel unwell after a hair straightening treatment. Juliette Bloch, the director of alerts at Anses, warns if, after having had a Brazilian hair straightening treatment, “symptoms” appear “in the hours that follow”. “This could be nausea, abdominal pain, lower back pain. You should then consult your GP, specifying that you have had a Brazilian hair straightening treatment or call a poison control centre.”
Anses has issued an alert at the European level, because it is the European Union that has the power to ban the use of glyoxylic acid in cosmetic products. This substance is also found in certain hair masks or in shampoos that preserve coloring.
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