Overview
- Silent Spring Institute tested 43 popular hair-extension products with non-targeted analysis, detecting over 900 chemical signatures and identifying 169 substances across major classes.
- All but two samples contained hazardous chemicals, and the only products without them were labeled non-toxic or toxic-free.
- Detected compounds included flame retardants, phthalates, pesticides, styrene, tetrachloroethane, and organotins, with some organotin levels exceeding European Union safety limits and 48 chemicals on major hazard lists, including 12 under California’s Proposition 65.
- Contamination spanned synthetic and bio-based products, including human hair, raising exposure concerns from scalp contact, heat styling, and leaching during washing, with disproportionate use reported among Black women.
- Researchers and advocates called for mandatory disclosure and reformulation as New York pursues ingredient-list requirements, New Jersey advances restrictions on harmful chemicals, and a federal Safer Beauty Bill proposes FDA oversight of synthetic hair products.