Dangerous chemicals detected in Black hair braiding products, report shows
WASHINGTON - A new study shows that several synthetic hair braiding products contain heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and other potentially dangerous chemicals.
What they're saying:
According to the study, published by ConsumerReports, heavy metals like lead and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), potentially dangerous chemicals were found in 100 percent of the samples.
Many Black women reacted on social media to the results of the initial study conducted in November 2025, expressing anger and concern over the findings.
"This hair needs to be taken off the shelves immediately," while another commented on The Shade Room’s TikTok, "If they are this bad how are they allowed to be sold?"
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Many Black women have expressed concerns online after getting braids put in and experiencing itching, rashes and sores on both their head and face, swelling and burning.
Responding to ongoing requests on social media, ConsumerReports conducted another test of 10 popular synthetic braiding hair products in 2026, looking for heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Here are the top findings, according to CR:
• Carcinogens, or chemicals that may cause cancer, were detected in 100 percent of the samples.
• Lead was detected in nine of 10 products.
• Other VOCs, including acetone, were detected in all products.
Dig deeper:
ConsumerReports says readers asked them to test human hair and braiding hair brands that claim to be safer, such as Gyal and Rebundle.
They ended up testing a total of 30 products, including human hair, popular plant-based hair, and additional synthetic braiding hair products that we hadn’t tested previously.
All but one sample contained heavy metals, and human hair was "by far the worst offender."
They say all 30 products also contained VOCs, including acetone, a respiratory irritant, and low levels of carcinogens (toxins that may be linked to cancer).
"During this testing effort, we identified products that had smaller amounts down to undetectable amounts of the heavy metals. This suggests that in the production of synthetic braiding hair, these products can be made without being contaminated with these potentially harmful chemicals," said James E. Rogers, PhD, director and head of product safety testing at ConsumerReports.
Rogers also highlighted that in the 2025 report, seven out of 10 products came back negative for benzene, a known carcinogen that can cause acute myeloid leukemia.