Brazilian Blowout Agrees to Settlement, but the Formaldehyde Will Stay

Remember when Mary Louise Parker's hair fell out from the Brazilian Blowout?

That's bound to keep happening to other beauties longing for silky straight locks in the future. Except from now on, they'll be warned.

According to the New York Times, the makers of the Brazilian Blowout agreed to settle a class action lawsuit this week for $4.5 million. Customers who were harmed by the product will receive up to three payments of $35 for each treatment they had and stylists will get $75 for each bottle they bought.

So let us just clarify: For unknowingly being exposed to a carcinogen linked to cancer, you'll be compensated in an amount equivalent to one spin class. Stylists exposed to the product on a daily basis don't get much more.

Worth knowing if nothing else? Brazilian Blowout will not be required to remove formaldehyde from the formula. Instead, they won't be allowed to market it as "formaldehyde-free" and will have to provide "detailed instructions on how to use it safely."

How about the words "contains formaldehyde"? Or "may cause a variety of health risks"? We'd love to see that clearly indicated on the label!

Let's hope most hair stylists will read between the lines and valuing safety (or the ability to use their lungs to breathe) ditch the product altogether. If nothing else, the FDA is requiring the company to reduce formaldehyde levels by this coming September.