People in Bahrain have been warned against using hair care products that contain the chemical formaldehyde.

Health Ministry public health directorate food safety section head Afifa Badr said the chemical was thought to be responsible for breathing problems, nose bleeding and
eye inflammation and could lead to fainting.

“It has also been reported that the prolonged use of the chemical could lead to cancer,” she said.

Dr Badr said the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Union law on cosmetics allowed the use of the chemical provided its proportion did not exceed 0.2 per cent and it was mentioned clearly on the packaging.

She said some cosmetic companies do not provide the necessary information on the packaging so people should be aware of this.

“We have also withdrawn some products from shelves so that these could be analysed,” Dr Badr added.

“We are keeping a very strict check in Bahrain on such products. However, we would like to caution people who bring these products from outside the country to be careful before using them,” she said.-TradeArabia News Service