Report: Carcinogens found in synthetic hair braiding products

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Braids are more than just a hairstyle, they’re a long-standing tradition in Black communities, passed down through generations and worn for a number of reasons, from convenience to self-expression. There are hundreds of hair-braiding salons in Philadelphia alone. But new research is raising questions about how safe these styles really are.

A recent Consumer Reports investigation found that samples from 10 popular synthetic braiding hair products contained known carcinogens. Lead showed up in nine of the products, and all samples had other harmful chemicals, including volatile organic compounds.

Christine Martey-Ochola, a Philadelphia scientist and co-founder of organic and natural hair care brand Nuele, wasn’t surprised at these findings.

“It’s not peculiar to me that we have products that are made with synthetic fibers that are plastic polymers, made with ingredients and solvents that could be problematic,” she said after reviewing the report. “This is knowledge that’s been available to the public, but not in the manner that it was composed in the Consumer Report.”

Martey-Ochola has long advocated for more transparency when it comes to potentially harmful ingredients in hair care ingredients — a concern that helped inspire the creation of her products.

“The hair sector is one that has often gone unregulated and unnoticed, especially around ingredients that might not necessarily be the best for our health,” she said. “So I started to research hair products and hair ingredients.”

Growing up, she experienced scalp irritation from braids and assumed it was from tight styling.

“I always thought that I just didn’t like braids because they made me feel miserable. Not realizing that they made me feel miserable because they had these toxic ingredients in them that caused my scalp to get very inflamed,” she said.

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