In Summary
- KEMRI Uncover Formaldehyde Neurotoxin in Hair Relaxers in Kenya.
- 75% of Hair Relaxers that had Formaldehyde were manufactured in Kenya.
A groundbreaking discovery by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has revealed that a good number of hair relaxers in the country have a harmful neurotoxin called formaldehyde.
KEMRI alleges that formaldehyde has been linked to brain cancer and memory damage.
The study which focused on Embu County, revealed that at least 8 hair relaxer brands in Kenya contained formaldehyde with 75% of them manufactured in Kenya, while 25% originated from Uganda and South Africa.
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Further analysis by KEMRI identified a total of 12 concerning chemicals in the examined hair relaxers.
Notably, petrolatum and sodium hydroxide, classified as tier 2 chemicals, were present in 100% and 87.5% of the products, respectively.
The investigation was prompted by an increase in cancer cases in Embu County but the affected brands which were not named by KEMRI are widely used not only in Embu but also in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya.
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