Hair products often contain ingredients that easily evaporate, so users may inhale some of these chemicals, potentially posing health repercussions. Now, researchers have studied emissions of these volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including siloxanes, which shine and smooth hair. The scientists report in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology that using these hair care products can change indoor air composition quickly, and common heat styling techniques — straightening and curling — increase VOC levels even more.
Some prior studies have examined the amounts of siloxanes released from personal care products. But most focused on products that are washed off the body, such as skin cleansers, which might behave differently from products that are left on the hair, like creams or oils. In addition, most previous studies on siloxane emissions haven't looked at the real-time, rapid changes in indoor air composition that might occur while people are actively styling hair. Nusrat Jung and colleagues wanted to fill in the details about VOCs released from hair products, especially in real-world scenarios such as small bathrooms where they’re typically applied.
Read more at American Chemical Society
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