What even is formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde. A colorless, flammable gas with a strong odor. For many people the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “formaldehyde” is the strong odor of nail polish. But you might not be aware of just how common formaldehyde donors, also known as formaldehyde releasers, are in your everyday life. 

Formaldehyde donors are chemical compounds that act as preservatives, slowly releasing small amounts of formaldehyde throughout a product’s shelf life. Some of these compounds to look out for in product ingredients are DMDM hydantoin, Imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, Quaternium-15, Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol ), 5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane, and HydroxymethylglycinateIn. In the World Health Organization’s 2002 report on formaldehyde they casually list the personal care products these compounds are regularly found in as: “lotions (e.g., suntan lotion and dry skin lotion), makeup, and mouth- washes and is also present in hand cream, bath products, mascara and eye makeup, cuticle softeners, nail creams, vaginal deodorants, and shaving cream.” Yeah, you probably didn’t think there might be a small dose of formaldehyde in your mouth wash.

To be fair, the amount of formaldehyde released by donors in personal care and cleaning products is extremely tiny. EU regulations allow up to 2,000 parts per million of free formaldehyde in a product. But in comparison, the FDA has placed no restriction on the amount of formaldehyde allowed in consumer care products. None.

If this practice is so common then there’s probably not much to worry about, right?

Well. Even the EPA admits “Formaldehyde can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, and throat. High levels of exposure may cause some types of cancers.” And let’s face it, if you’ve ever been in a room while someone paints their nails you know formaldehyde is very pungent and quick to induce a headache. 

Formaldehyde is indeed now classified as a probable or known human carcinogen by the EPA, The American Cancer Society, The Environmental Working Group, and The World Health Organization. And personal care products are not the only place where small amounts of this chemical are found. It’s also found in fertilizers and pesticides, building materials and insulation, glues, permanent press fabrics, paints and coatings, lacquers and finishes, paper products, hardwood plywood, particleboard, dishwashing liquids and fabric softeners. Basically small amounts of formaldehyde are likely to be off-gassing around you at any given time in urban areas.

The next fact is a also bit of a whopper. The FDA permits formaldehyde as a preservative in feed and drinking water for animals. Yes, the soybeans fed to beef cattle can contain formaldehyde, but to be clear there are strict regulations set by the FDA about how this preservative can be used in feed. The US is also not the only country with a history of this practise. In Canada formalin was added to liquid whey fed to calves and cows, and in the UK it was added to skim milk fed to pigs.

There are several studies about the effects of formaldehyde that argue for both the dangers and the safety of the chemical. The studies in which nasal cancers have been found to increase through inhalation of formaldehyde have mostly been conducted on rodents.

In any case, since formaldehyde is clearly far more ubiquitous in our environment than you might have thought, and it is classified as a carcinogen by several organizations, it helps to know the facts so you can make informed decisions.