DMDM hydantoin

Safety

A patch test study found that "an increase in the use of DMDM hydantoin in cosmetic products will also inevitably increase the risk of cosmetic dermatitis in consumers allergic to formaldehyde."

The safety of formaldehyde is a topic of ongoing concern, given the prevalence of formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers in industrial uses. Formaldehyde is considered "an important metabolic product in plants and animals (including humans), where it occurs in low but measurable concentrations." However, long-term exposure to formaldehyde (particularly routine inhalation of its fumes) is thought to cause irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes, headaches, shortness of breath, and aggravation of asthma symptoms. It was declared a "toxic product" by the 1999 Canadian Environmental Protection Act, and the US National Toxicology Program officially classed formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen in June 2011.

In the EU, the maximum allowed concentration of formaldehyde in finished products is 0.2%, and any product that exceeds 0.05% has to include a warning that the product contains formaldehyde.

References

References

1. "GESTIS-Stoffdatenbank 1,3-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethylimidazolidin-2,4-dion".
2. {{CPID
3. [https://sci-toys.com/ingredients/DMDM_hydantoin.html DMDM Hydantoin] at sci-toys.com
4. (1988). "Patch test reactivity to DMDM hydantoin. Relationship to formaldehyde allergy". Contact Dermatitis.
5. (2016). "Formaldehyde". American Cancer Society.
6. (2019-04-11). "Safety and Health Topics {{!}} Formaldehyde {{!}} Occupational Safety and Health Administration".
7. (2019-03-23). "Notice of Adoption of Air Toxics Hot Spots Program Technical Support Document for the Derivation of Noncancer Reference Exposure Levels and 6 RELs {{!}} OEHHA".
8. Canada, Health. (2012-03-29). "Formaldehyde in your home".
9. (April 2007). "Health Canada - Proposed residential indoor air quality guidelines for formaldehyde".
10. Harris, Gardiner. (2011-06-10). "Government Says 2 Common Materials Pose Risk of Cancer". The New York Times.
11. (2011-06-08). "Report on Carcinogens (RoC) - National Toxicology Program".
12. "National Toxicology Program: 14th Report on Carcinogens".
13. (2009). "Formaldehyde-releasers: relationship to formaldehyde contact allergy. Contact allergy to formaldehyde and inventory of formaldehyde-releasers". Contact Dermatitis.