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CATHERINE IN MISSOURI ASKS:
I noticed my hair dryer has a label that says, “Warning! This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.” Is it safe to use my hair dryer? Do all hair dryers have toxic chemicals? I’m sure the best thing to do is to not use a hair dryer at all, but if I do, are there safer choices?
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MOM DETECTIVE ANSWERS:
Hi, Catherine. No one wants scary warnings on their daily-use appliances, but rest assured it’s there for a good reason. The label is a Proposition 65 (a.k.a. Prop 65) warning. The first time I remember seeing one was on a bottle of vinegar at a health food store. I was totally taken off guard. What did it mean?! I imagine you felt the same way reading your hair dryer.
What is Proposition 65?
Beyond alarming consumers, Prop 65 is actually a very useful thing. It’s been a California law since 1986, and its official name is the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. Prop 65 requires businesses to warn Californians about “significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.” These chemicals can be in products or in homes, in workplaces, or just released into the environment. The idea is that warnings enable California residents to research and make informed decisions about how much exposure they want to toxic chemicals.
While some of what Prop 65 covers is California-specific, like keeping local businesses from knowingly dumping harmful chemicals into drinking water sources, the law has had national repercussions. This is wonderful. Think about it: What hair dryer manufacturer is going to make one product for California, and another for the rest of the country? Instead, they make one product that adheres to California standards and sell it everywhere. We all benefit thanks to California’s strict law. We all get those warning labels. If you’re curious what sorts of chemicals Prop 65 covers, you can easily look them up too. The law requires the state to publish a list and update it yearly. Don’t tell anyone, but I do have it bookmarked.
Why would a Prop 65 warning be on a hair dryer?
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), part of the California EPA, administers the Prop 65 program. And the California Attorney General’s Office enforces it. Proposition 65 warnings have to be given for all chemicals on California’s list, unless the exposure is considered below a certain threshold.
When it comes to household appliances—not just hair dryers—it’s hard to say exactly why you’re being warned. On the Prop 65 website, it states, “It is difficult to generalize about chemical exposures from household appliances because each appliance is different.” The warning on your appliance could be referring to Prop 65 chemicals in the interior parts of the hair dryer, i.e., enclosed in the inner mechanisms.
Also, as with anything plastic and electronic, it could be that the warning is for flame retardants or the chemicals that make plastics flexible (phthalates). The only way to know for sure what Prop 65–listed chemicals are in your specific hair dryer would be to contact the manufacturer and ask.
As I see it, your options are:
- Give up the hair dryer and embrace air drying to avoid the whole shebang.
- Keep drying and accept that there might be something bad for you in your hair dryer, and you may or may not be exposed to it to some extent.
Commonsense steps for modern living
Should you choose to keep your hair dryer, there are commonsense steps to take to reduce exposure to whatever might be lurking in it. The people behind Prop 65 say these steps are especially important if you’re pregnant, because exposure to unsafe chemicals could pass from mother to baby. I would also take these precautions if ever you’re blow-drying kids’ hair, as developing children are uniquely vulnerable to the kinds of chemicals on Prop 65’s list. This is not just about hair dryers either. No matter what appliance you’re using, there’s a risk of exposure to its chemical components via indoor air pollution and dust. Here’s how to minimize this exposure.
- Use appliances in good shape. It’s a good rule of thumb to use electronic items that are properly maintained and in good condition. If an item is past its useful life, don’t take it apart and safely dispose of it instead. (Similarly, don’t allow curious kids to take apart old electronics, including appliances!)
- Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate. Open a window when you use your hair dryer. If you have a bathroom fan, use that too.
- Wash your hands. This beyond simple step prior to preparing food or eating is a surefire way to reduce ingesting household dust containing a whole host of chemicals from daily-use products, including that hair dryer. Get scrubbing!
- Keep things clean. Wet mopping, damp dusting, and using a vacuum with a HEPA filter will also reduce household dust and its chemical components.
Your hair dryer is the tip of the iceberg
All household electronics and appliances can and frequently do contain Prop 65 chemicals—from air conditioners to microwaves. Familiarize yourself with Prop 65 and decide what you’re willing to expose yourself to. Realistically, there are items you will choose to use regardless of Prop 65 warnings, and only you know where you will draw the line. A hair dryer may not seem necessary, but what about your stove? Your kids’ game console? Or for me, it’s the computer I am writing this answer on. I’m not going to stop writing. So I live with the exposure. These conundrums about daily toxic chemical exposure are part of modern living.
While ventilation and washing hands go a long way, no one is going to hand wash their way out of this mess. We need more and stronger toxic chemical legislation—and federally, like the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), not just in California. Join Moms Clean Air Force to demand all our elected officials enact the most stringent legislation and protect us all—especially our children—from the harmful chemicals on the Prop 65 list, and many more.
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