A recent class action lawsuit has shed new light on DMDM Hydantoin as an ingredient in personal care products and a potential trigger for scalp irritation and hair loss. Here's what you should know.

A recent class action lawsuit has shed new light on DMDM Hydantoin as an ingredient in personal care products and a potential trigger for scalp irritation and hair loss. Here's what you should know.

Even if you have tried to forget everything from your high school science classes, the word formaldehyde probably gives you pause - or flashbacks to frog dissection. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), an independent scientific panel of experts established by the Personal Care Products Council, and the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union have concluded that DMDM Hydantoin is safe at current levels of use. This stance on safety and usage was last reaffirmed by CIR in 2005.

A recent class action lawsuit has shed new light on DMDM Hydantoin as an ingredient in personal care products like shampoo and raised the question of whether or not current allowable levels are harmful. The lawsuit against Tresemme was filed in November and alleges products containing DMDM Hydantoin have caused hair loss and scalp irritation. The suit gained wider awareness a few weeks ago as posts on social media and beauty sites began reviewing use of DMDM Hydantoin as an ingredient and compiling lists of shampoos and conditioners that use it.

So, is this a case of Facebook stirred hysteria, or a sign of changing scientific understanding?

There's no easy answer. Health Magazine quotes dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, as saying "while direct contact to formaldehyde-releasers can lead to allergic contact dermatitis, it's rare. Dermatitis can look like red, itchy, flaky skin and can temporarily interfere with functioning hair follicles, leading to shedding." However, prior lawsuits against Suave and DevaCurl claim scalp irritation and hair loss from products that contain formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. And others in the scientific community have noted that any exposure to a known carcinogen and irritant like formaldehyde is worse than none at all.

The good news? There are plenty of personal care products available without DMDM Hydantoin, including Revivogen.

Revivogen is paraben-free, sulfate-free and DMDM Hydantoin free. Paraben-free products like our biocleansing shampoo and thickening conditioner use an alternative preservative, methylisothiazolinone.

Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) is a highly effective broad-spectrum preservative that can strongly inhibit the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. Regulatory authorities in the United States, Japan, the European Union and 25 other countries have studied MIT and determined it is safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products. MIT does not release formaldehyde and is compatible with a variety of ingredients in a wide pH range. Methylisothiazolinone is not a carcinogen like formaldehyde and it is not an endocrine disrupting chemical like parabens.

But, the internet told you different? Another article said Methylisothiazolinone is a documented irritant? Here's the deal. MIT was originally used in combination with a chlorinated compound partner under the trade name Kathon CGTM in the 1970s. It could be found in many cosmetics and when used at higher than recommended levels, it can irritate the skin and increase allergy risk. When companies first started looking for paraben and formaldehyde alternative preservatives, they turned to Kathon CGTM. Problems arose when companies added Kathon CGTM at the same level as their prior preservative. Kathon CGTM is strong. Traditional preservatives were used at nearly 100 times the percentage of Kathon CGTM needed to be effective, so a veritable tide wave of consumer complaints ensued in the 1980s and early 90s. Significantly lower levels of Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) are used today, but the reputation stuck.

Revivogen is committed to creating products that leverage the power of naturally derived botanical extracts to combat the damaging effects of DHT and provide an alternative to prescription medications for hair loss.