Brazilian Blowout Hair-Products Company Hit with $600,000 Settlement by AG's Office

​The office of California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced today that a popular manufacturer of hair products, Brazilian Blowout, has agreed to pay $600,000 in fees, penalties, and costs because some of its merchandise allegedly emits formaldehyde gas.

The website for Brazilian Blowout advertises its hair-smoothing treatments as "the ONLY Professional Smoothing Treatment that actually improves the health of the hair," assuring "No Damage!" The products lead to "smooth, healthy, frizz-free hair with radiant shine," the website promises.

However, the Attorney General's Office filed suit against Brazilian Blowout's parent company, GIB, LLC, in 2010, asserting that the products are deceptively advertised, since the ads don't contain warnings about the presence of a carcinogen in the smoothing treatments.

Brazilian Blowout issued the following statement in response to the settlement:

We believe the settlement reached with Attorney General Harris represents a fair and equitable resolution. Brazilian Blowout will continue to sell its products normally throughout the state of California. The labeling and marketing and advertising changes agreed to in the settlement have already been in place for months. We are pleased to have this matter behind us and are confident these new practices will provide certified stylists who use our products each day and their loyal customer's clarity and confidence.

The $600,000 settlement announced today is the first enforcement action under California's Safe Cosmetics Act, a 2005 law requiring disclosure of potentially unsafe chemicals in salon products.

"California laws protect consumers and workers and give them fair notice about the health risks associated with the products they use," Harris said in a statement. "This settlement requires the company to disclose any hazard so that Californians can make more informed decisions."

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