One of the rapidly growing industries in India is the cosmetic industry with an increase of 6% every year but science finds new data that warns people who use hair care products frequently as they may be inhaling dangerous levels of chemicals. Reserchers say that most of the shampoos available in the market contain a huge amount of chemical compounds that clean hair but can affect your health.
A study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that the chemicals in hair care products stay in the air for a longer time than required and inhalation impacts the respiratory tract, liver and nervous system. According to researchers from Purdue University in the United States, a person can inhale up to 17 mg of potentially harmful chemicals in a single hair care session at home.
The Independent quoted Nusrat Jung, the co-author, saying, “The use of the chemical in wash-off cosmetic products has already been restricted in the European Union because of this,” adding, “Many of these products are scented, too, and some of the chemicals used to make these fragrances are potentially dangerous to inhale as well.”
She reports that continuous inhalation of these chemicals, one of the most common is decamethylcyclopentasiloxane or D5 siloxane, can be more alarming on human bodies than we ever know. While there have been studies on chemicals found in some “wash-off” products such as shampoos, researchers say there are almost no studies on “leave-on” products such as hair gels, oils, creams, waxes, and sprays.
Furthermore, according to scientists, applying high heat to these chemicals, such as with curling irons and hair straighteners, can cause additional chemical release into the air. Finally, the researchers say about the best solution, which is, to not use these products at all.
But to minimise the effect, it is important to switch on the exhaust fan during the procedure. She said, “Our model shows that turning on the bathroom exhaust fan can reduce D5 inhalation exposures by over 90 per cent,”