Dear Rusk1.com Member, Recent media stories have raised questions about the safety of "Brazilian" hair straighteners, which may contain the potentially harmful chemical formaldehyde. As a company committed to the safety of our stylists and consumers, we wanted to pass on the article below from the Professional Beauty Association about Brazilian straighteners. Rusk's straightening products, Radical Anticurl and Thermal Str8, do not contain formaldehyde. Feel free to speak with your stylist should you have questions regarding product ingredients or health and safety issues. Best Regards, Rusk www.Rusk1.com 1-800-USE-RUSK This e-mail message was sent from the Rusk "opt-in" mailing list. To unsubscribe please reply to info@rusk1.com and type "unsubscribe" in the message body.

November 8, 2007 - Recent media stories (The Early Show, Allure magazine October issue, CBS News, etc.) have raised questions in our industry about the safety of some so-called Brazilian hair straighteners - also known as Brazilian Keratin Treatments (BKT) and/or "escova progressiva". The media has highlighted the use of formaldehyde as an ingredient in these treatments, raising particular questions about the levels of formaldehyde used in some products. Additionally, the media has drawn attention to the mislabeling and/or lack of labeling on the part of some product manufacturers. Specifically, it has been reported that some Brazilian hair straightening products are being marketed as "chemical/formaldehyde free" when in fact they may contain formaldehyde. In some cases, products contain no ingredient labeling - a potential violation of federal law. The use of Brazilian hair straighteners has become increasingly popular over the last six months. Although there have been no conclusive studies on the products and treatments, some experts are concerned about the possible inhalation and/or absorption of formaldehyde through the skin in unsafe quantities - both on the part of salon industry workers and consumers. Commonly used as a preservative, formaldehyde is found in everyday household objects such as glue and particle board. However, acute exposure can be highly irritating and may cause severe allergic reactions of the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. It is also a suspected human carcinogen. Individual reactions to different levels of formaldehyde (as with most environmental stimuli) can vary greatly based on hereditary and lifestyle factors. The independent Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel completed an extensive review of formaldehyde in 1984, and listed it as "safe as used" in cosmetics within certain specifications. The CIR has listed formaldehyde as safe for use in cosmetics in quantities of point two percent (0.2%) or less. The health and safety of beauty professionals and consumers is a top priority for our industry. As such, PBA encourages our member companies to educate themselves on these products and to ask pertinent questions regarding product ingredients, appropriate handling, application techniques and any safety or allergy warnings that should be shared with consumers. For more information about this PBA Industry Alert, please contact Sam Leyvas at sam@probeauty.org or 800.468.2274 (480.281.0424) x118. Links: Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors OSHA Standards CBS News Story: Health Alarm Over New Hair Straightener PBA Industry Alert: Information on Brazilian Hair Straighteners