Olaplex Responds to Ingredient Controversy, Re-Formulates Best-Selling Product [Updated]
The brand's popular No. 3. treatment is being tweaked to allay concerns about a link to possible fertility dangers — but experts caution there's no need for Olaplex users to freak out.
Photo: Courtesy of Olaplex
This week, Olaplex — hair-care brand beloved by colorists, beauty editors and Kardashians alike — announced it would be tweaking one of its most popular formulas in response to concerns and controversy surrounding an ingredient in it.
The product in question is Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector, an at-home bond repairing treatment best known for helping to rehab dry, tattered strands post-bleaching. Not only is it one of the brand's top sellers, it's also been one if its most viral TikTok successes — and a product I personally use regularly (and have recommended to plenty of color-treated-hair-having friends and family members).
Social media began to buzz over the past few days when users started posting that Olaplex was allegedly set to become banned in the U.K. and EU due to concerns about an ingredient in it potentially being "reprotoxic," meaning it could possibly have adverse effects on fertility. One TikTok video on the subject racked up more than 700,000 views in two days.
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The original formula for Olaplex's No. 3. treatment contains butylphenyl methylpropional, also known as lilial, a fragrance that has recently been officially classified as "reprotoxic" by the EU, and therefore subject to a ban beginning on March 1. As this deadline approached, Olaplex proactively chose to remove the ingredient from its formula to allay any possible concerns.
In an official statement provided to Fashionista, a representative from Olaplex stated:
"In September 2020, the EU regulatory authority announced their intent to phase out butylphenyl methylpropional commonly referred to as 'lilial' by March of 2022. At Olaplex, lilial was previously used in small amounts as a fragrance in No. 3 Hair Perfector. It is not an active or functional ingredient. While this phase out is limited to the EU, out of an abundance of caution, Olaplex proactively removed lillial from our No. 3 Hair Perfector globally."
On Monday, Olaplex's Chief Scientist and VP, R&D + Regulatory Lavinia Popescu recorded a five minute video addressing concerns and questions from consumers and explaining the company's thought process behind this development.
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While all of this may sound scary, experts — cosmetic chemists and formulators, to be exact — caution that you don't need to freak out if you've been using the existing Olaplex formula. (Insert my own sigh of relief here.)
"This ingredient has been used in cosmetics and other household and personal care products for many years. It functions as a synthetic fragrance ingredient," explains cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson (who's also the founder of skin-care brand BeautyStat). "It appears that there's data to support that this ingredient may pose a risk for reproduction and therefore it's being banned for use in cosmetic products in the EU. It appears that brands have been working to remove this ingredient from their products to keep consumers safe."
Olaplex has emphasized that this is precisely the case, and that because the ingredient in question is only in the formula for fragrance purposes — and not for any other active or functional reasons — it was a fairly simple swap. Also, users shouldn't notice much of a difference with the re-vamped formula, the brand assures.
Honestly, the scent of Olaplex No. 3 has always be the one and only thing I didn't love about using it, so if that's all that really changes with the formula going forward (well, that and potentially being less harmful to reproductive health....), I'm on board.
Update, Wed. March 2, 12:41 p.m.: A spokesperson from Olaplex reached out to Fashionista to offer further information and context. Read the brand's statement below.
"Cosmetic experts at The Cosmetic Regulator have clarified that lilial is usually present in formulations at a concentration of 0.1% or less and 'is not enough to directly impact fertility.' Olaplex previously used 0.011% as a fragrance and as an inactive and non-functional ingredient in Olaplex No. 3 rinse out product. According to the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA), 'Consumers who have bought cosmetic and personal care products that contain lilial can be reassured that these products are still safe to use. They will have undergone a rigorous safety assessment by an expert safety assessor to ensure their safe use.'"
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