Unknown to consumers and workers, this chemical carries serious cancer and other health risks, and it is still being used.

Formaldehyde, for many of us, is seen as something used in laboratory environments to preserve biological specimens for study and dissection. As an undergraduate in college biology, I noted that after our dissection labs, the tips of my fingers lost some sensitivity and I wondered why. Now I may have the answer and it is quite disturbing, since this product is used in areas far away from laboratory environments and included in beauty, products, home furnishings, and home building, to name just three categories.

Shampoos, lotions, cosmetics, and hair smoothing treatments can all benefit from the usage of formaldehyde-releasing compounds as preservatives. We call these compounds “formaldehyde releasers” because of the way they gradually let off the formaldehyde.

Cancer, impaired cognitive function, asthma, skin and eye irritation, and allergic reactions are all possible outcomes of formaldehyde exposure. Whether indoors or outdoors, formaldehyde can be released into the air by cosmetics. As a result of product washing down the drain, formaldehyde might end up in wastewater streams.

Years ago, I worked in a job that involved going into manufacturers' showrooms for children's clothing. While in the girls' dress showroom, I suddenly sensed an unfamiliar smell. I asked the salesman what it was, and he said formaldehyde was used to fix the dress material dyes. For how long have dresses leaching formaldehyde fumes into little girls' respiratory systems and onto their skin been available? Are they still using it? We have to wonder.

Where’s the Formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is an industrial chemical that is included in many common consumer goods, including fabrics, paints, adhesives, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The use of formaldehyde in cosmetics is illegal in the EU, but, so-called formaldehyde releasers are legal.

Formaldehyde releases are chemicals that add formaldehyde to the product during the preservation process. It goes without saying that products containing formaldehyde releasers should, therefore, be avoided by anyone who has a contact allergy to the substance. But how do you know that you are sensitive to formaldehyde if you are not told it's in a product? This can be like a detective hunt for anyone who wishes to avoid this highly neurotoxic substance. Don't just think about your skin; think about your nervous system, especially your hair and scalp.

The danger is not limited to formaldehyde when we consider hair care and makeup products. Particularly dangerous products are known as phthalates or "everywhere chemicals." A study found that exposure to common chemicals found in cosmetics, hair care products, food storage containers, and even some children’s toys can lead to an early death.

About 91,000 to 107,000 persons in the United States, ranging in age from 55 to 64, were found to have died prematurely, primarily from cardiovascular disease, after being related to phthalates.

But everyone, especially youngsters, may be exposed to formaldehyde (FA) because it is present in cigarette smoke, residential air (e.g., paint, insulating materials, chipboard and plywood, textiles, furniture, paper), and polluted city air. Sterilization, disinfection, and preservation are just a few of FA’s many uses in the medical and industrial fields. Therefore, workers may frequently encounter it in their workplaces. Scientists express special worry for medical students and anatomists because of the potential for significant levels of formaldehyde vapor exposure during dissection procedures.

The results of the reviewed studies show that FA is hazardous to the nervous system and the entire body. It is believed that breathing in FA in the early postnatal period is associated with certain adult neurological illnesses.

Level of Formaldehyde in Studies

It might be challenging for those with contact allergies to avoid formaldehyde because cosmetic ingredient lists do not always clearly indicate where the chemical comes from. Furthermore, cosmetics have been found to contain concealed formaldehyde even if the ingredient list did not include formaldehyde releases.

Recent research suggests that breathing in formaldehyde may raise your risk of developing brain disorders. These diseases can have an effect on your cognitive function and memory because formaldehyde interferes with neurotransmitters like glutamate. And there are a variety of cancers associated, simply by inhaling the fumes from this chemical. Cancers of the nasopharynx, sinonasal, and myeloid varieties can be caused by formaldehyde inhalation.

According to an EPA paper, breathing in formaldehyde can lead to a decline in lung function, worsening asthma symptoms, heightened allergy reactions, harm to both sexes’ reproductive systems, and harm to a girl’s development. When we think of breathing, we should not limit our concerns regarding indoor air because outdoor air has proven to be something of a challenge for the EPA and those studying formaldehyde exposure outdoors.

An examination of the EPA’s 2020 AirToxScreen data by ProPublica reveals that a lifetime cancer risk from exposure to formaldehyde in outdoor places is ten times higher than the agency’s ideal, impacting around 320 million Americans.

(Anyone in the nation can learn about your formaldehyde risk in the outdoors using a new lookup tool that ProPublica is providing.)

Additional concern is the role that formaldehyde and other chemicals freely used in our environment, may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Studies are now indicating in that direction and formaldehyde may play an important, possibly hidden, contributing cause for Alzheimer's development.

Research indications appear to be making a clear case for concern and control of certain substances in the air and in products that are being sold to consumers. Where we go in the future will determine our health and longevity.