Healthy Indoors | 35
Formaldehyde-containing shampoo products
Formaldehyde is used in some textiles to make wrinkle
free products and it also helps some dyes and inks permeate
the fabric for wear resistance. Another thing to watch out for
is purchasing clothing second hand, especially nice clothing.
Sometimes, this clothing is used to dress a deceased person
for a funeral and the clothing can soak up formaldehyde if that
was used as a preservative for the body. It's essential to wash
second hand clothing before wearing it to remove formalde-
hyde or other toxic contaminants before wearing it.
Brazilian Blowout
A little-known use for formaldehyde is in vaccines. It is
used to inactivate or kill the live microbes, thereby creating
the milder form so that the body can create antibodies for it.
And don't forget that formaldehyde is produced naturally
by plants, animals, and humans as part of the metabolic
process. In fact, you're breathing out a tiny bit of formalde-
hyde as you read this article.
With all these possible sources for formaldehyde you
may be wondering about your risk level. Most of these prod-
ucts contain very small amounts of formaldehyde, often less
than 1% of the product formulation. For products with larger
amounts, there are some important factors to consider.
UFFI foam insulation
