Hair sprays might do you more harm than good

With the increasing toxicity associated with the product coming to light, should hair sprays occupy a spot on your shelf?

On 18th October, when Unilever recalled 1.5 million units of its dry shampoos across brands like Dove, Nexxus, TIGI and Tresemmé due to the presence of benzene, a carcinogen, in the products,  beauty communities on social media across the globe took notice. Netizens almost blacklisted dry shampoos and hair sprays as a category. You can blame the backlash on the frequency of such mishaps. In December 2021, Procter & Gamble released a similar statement, where the conglomerate recalled roughly 30 different dry shampoos and spray-on conditioners from brands like Herbal Essences, Pantene and Aussie, that fall under its umbrella.

‘Spray’ is the word that you should pay attention to here. When a product is fabricated in this [spray-on] format, experiences vindicate that problems are likely to occur. Why is that so, and should you still be using it anyway? The Established does some groundwork to help you make an informed decision. 

What’s a hair spray all about?

Hair sprays are of various kinds—texturising, volumising, strengthening, hold-enhancing, moisturising, conditioning and the do-it-all dry shampoo. “I like to use hair spray especially when I’m about to tie my hair, for a better grip,” says celebrity hairstylist Humera Shaikh. “It helps me build a look, achieve a secure hairstyle and makes it last. A dry shampoo, on the other hand, is used to remove the grease from your scalp and hair,” she adds. While there’s a hair spray for every hair type, the fact that they’re available for use in an aerosol formula is what overweighs the products’ capabilities.   

The problem with hair sprays

So how do hair sprays work? Rather problematically. Hair sprays are created using polymers and propellants. While the former is what keeps your hair in place, the latter enables the aerosol’s spray-on feature. As a result, more often than not, they contain several toxic chemicals. “Carboxymethylcellulose, denatured alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol, propylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and hydrofluorocarbon are some commonly found toxic ingredients in aerosol hair sprays,” shares Dr Jaishree Sharad, Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist and founder, Skinfiniti. That’s not where it ends. Other common hazardous ingredients to watch out for on labels of hair products are “parabens, SLES, SLS, caustics, DEA, MEA, TEA, dyes, formaldehyde, chlorine, heavy metals, phosphates and triclosan,” shares clean homegrown brand Arata’s co-founder, Dhruv Bhasin. 

Another ingredient commonly found in hair sprays—dry shampoos in particular—and some sunscreens—is benzene, a virulent carcinogen. It’s not an active sun-protectant but was classified as a contaminant in sunscreens by US-based company Valisure. “The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies benzene as a known carcinogen that elevates cancer risk, and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) classifies it as a Group A risk,” shares US-based Dr Sanjay Juneja, hematologist and medical oncologist. “One of the main concerns with long-term benzene exposure is its effect on the bone marrow, as it may possibly evolve into acute myeloid leukaemia,” says Sharad. She adds that even if formulators don’t use benzene directly, it can crop up as a result of the chemical reactions that take place in the aerosol bottle. “It is believed that benzene is formed due to the propellant mix that is used to spray the product out of the can.” 

You are most vulnerable to the risks of benzene when you inhale it, versus its topical application, which explains the potential damage dry shampoos can cause. “Benzene is found in smoke from the burning of coal, wood, tobacco, cigarettes as well as the smoke at gas stations. However, benzene contamination is also found in aerosol sprays, and long-term exposure can cause leukaemia,” Sharad reinstates. “I’m not worried about trace amounts of benzene. What is more concerning is benzene levels of over six ppm (parts per million), exceeding three times the maximum allowable limit. That is carcinogenic when applied to large areas of the skin,” dermatologist and associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine, Macrene Alexiades, told Allure. The problem? While 30 per cent of the dry shampoos were devoid of benzene, one can of dry shampoo (from the remaining 70 per cent) was found to contain 158 ppm of benzene, according to a recent laboratory test conducted by Valisure. 

The bottom line 

“There is no scientific data to prove that hair sprays are harmful. However, benzene-poisoning depends on many factors like duration of exposure, amount of exposure, route of exposure, age of the person and any pre-existing medical conditions. Hence, it is better to use hair sprays in moderation if you just can’t do without them,” recommends Sharad. While tightly-monitored concentrations of benzene (or other permitted chemicals) may not cause lethal diseases, when chock-a-block with toxic chemicals, such hair sprays can fluster your scalp, propelling inflammation, seborrheic dermatitis, itchiness, irritation, dandruff, allergies and other scalp infections. “Excessive use may also cause hair fall,” adds Sharad. 

Instead of making hair sprays a part of your daily routine, you can indulge in hair washes at regular intervals, using the right shampoos and conditioners. Sharad advises using hair sprays in the form of foams against aerosols. However, “hair gels, hair mousse, serums or hair oils are better options,” she suggests. Additionally, you can look for clean and natural dry shampoos like the Plantain & Bamboo Charcoal Dry Shampoo from Juicy Chemistry (which we advise to wash off the next day) and hair sprays like Sea Salt Thickening Spray from Arata which is infused with niacinamide, salt and biotin, sans any nasties. “You can also try using a tiny amount of aloe vera gel or shea butter on the strands,” concludes Sharad.

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