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According to a Consumer Reports research, eight synthetic hair products—including those from well-known brands like Magic Fingers, Sensationnel, and Shake-N-Go—used in braids, extensions, and other hairstyles popular with Black women were discovered to have ingredients that might cause cancer.
According to the research, nine out of ten packets of synthetic hair evaluated had lead, which may cause major health and developmental issues. One bag of braiding hair had a lead content that was more than 600% more than the maximum permitted amount. Because there are no federal limitations on lead in synthetic braiding hair, Consumer Reports utilized California's maximum permissible dose level, calling it the "most protective available in the U.S."
Black women have historically used synthetic hair in protective hairstyles including twists, locs, and braids. These hairstyles may be worn for weeks at a time, shielding the hair from daily heat styling, weather exposure, and breakage. According to Consumer Reports, this results in extended exposure to the toxins.
Synthetic hair is often available online and at local beauty supply shops. Researchers from Consumer Reports evaluated braiding hair from ten businesses, many of which utilize synthetic hair derived from Kanekalon, a substance manufactured by the Kaneka brand.
"Kaneka only manufactures the Kanekalon fibers that are used in various hair products, such as synthetic hair braids and wigs, and does not produce any of the final products," Kaneka informed Consumer Reports in response to NBC News' request for comment. "The Kanekalon is dyed and styled by the braiding hair companies themselves," Kaneka said. Additionally, the business informed Consumer Reports that additional information was required in order to adequately investigate the complaint.
The investigation found that benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer, is present in Sensationnel, Magic Fingers, and other goods. The American Cancer Society says the chemical probably causes acute myeloid leukemia.
Methylene chloride, which the EPA claims may cause lung and liver cancer after prolonged exposure, was also discovered by Consumer Reports. The Food and Drug Administration has set a limit on the amount of methylene chloride allowed in cosmetics.
According to Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy health group, "there is no safe level of exposure to lead or benzene." "Because both chemicals are linked to major health consequences, exposure to them should be avoided whenever possible."
According to the analysis, lead was also present in nine out of the ten goods that were evaluated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead may lead to reproductive problems in adults and a variety of developmental abnormalities in children.
"The amount of lead in synthetic braiding products is unregulated by the federal government," Friedman said. "In the US, lead is not allowed to be purposefully added to cosmetic products, although it may be present as an ingredient contamination."
Shake-n-Shake, Magic Fingers, and Sensationnel Requests for comment from Go were not immediately answered.
Customers "can count on us for braids and extensions that meet their highest expectations for fashion and performance," Magic Fingers told Consumer Reports.
"We firmly believe that Sensationnel products are safe," Sensationnel told Consumer Reports.
"Exposure to lead should be avoided whenever possible, even though the majority of these products fall below the FDA standard for lead contamination in cosmetics," Friedman said.
Sensationnel and Magic Fingers both disapproved of the testing approach, claiming it was not indicative of how customers would really use the items. Consumer Reports blind-coded 20 samples and evaluated 10 fake braided hair products before submitting them to a lab for heavy metal analysis. A request for response from Consumer Reports was not answered by Shake-n-Go.
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In 2022, hundreds of Black individuals filed a class-action lawsuit against firms that produce chemical hair relaxers, which straighten hair, alleging that the chemicals caused uterine cancer. Infertility, cancer, and other diseases are more common in women who use chemical hair relaxers, which are mostly sold to Black women, according to a number of extensive studies that have been published recently.
The group monitors the "alarming trend" of harmful items being promoted to Black women, which is highlighted in the Consumer Reports research, according to Friedman.
According to a statement from Friedman, "women use an average of 12 personal care products per day, which can expose people to mixtures of harmful chemicals." Research indicates that repeated exposure to chemical mixtures might pose significantly larger health hazards than exposure to a single substance.
The majority of the more than 4,000 goods that EWG examined and advertised to Black women were deemed to be at least somewhat, if not very, harmful to human health. Customers may search for beauty products in the Skin Deep database created by EWG and check whether they are categorized as low, moderately, or very dangerous by the organization.
"Safe products should be available to everyone," Friedman said. "Safety for customers should be a top priority for manufacturers."
