What is Formaldehyde and Why Should I Care?

Posted by SoCozy · April 17, 2020

Formaldehyde. You haven’t thought much about this four-syllable word since your seventh-grade science class when you dissected frogs and that one girl almost passed out. You probably still remember the pungent smell. That smell was formaldehyde, a colorless, strong-smelling gas that is often found in water-based solutions to be used as a powerful preservative.

A preservative that is frequently found in hair products. Nasty, right?

Sometimes Formaldehyde is added directly into hair products, but even more frequently, Formaldehyde is found as a contaminant, a by-product of antimicrobial preservatives that bump and blend together and release Formaldehyde as a result. These preservatives are collectively referred to as Formaldehyde-releasers.

So why are we talking about Formaldehyde now?

Formaldehyde is toxic to humans. Short-term side effects from exposure are watery, burning eyes, nose and throat, asthmatic attacks, skin irritation, headaches and nausea. Long term effects can include cancer and possibly leukemia.

And yet, Formaldehyde-releasers are still a popular addition to water-based products like lotions and shampoos, and can even be found in many baby products on the market. They are one of the main causes of allergic contact dermatitis and unlike Formaldehyde itself, these Formaldehyde-releasers remain unrestricted and do not have to be tested for any levels of contamination.

What makes SoCozy so different?

SoCozy products DO NOT contain Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde donors, synthesizers or releasers. Period. But how do we keep our products fresh and safe from bacteria, yeast, or other damaging microorganisms? Preservatives are crucial to protect our formulas, and currently we use very mild and safe synthetic and/or natural preservatives at very low concentrations. And to make sure each product works the way we say it does, we conduct numerous safety tests, microbial challenge tests, and stability and consumer use tests to ensure our formulas are safe and effective, so you don’t ever have to question SoCozy.

That’s our promise. No nasties. Not ever.

P.S. Want to check your other hair and household products for formaldehyde releasers? These are the most common suspects: