As of March 1, 2022 the ingredient butylphenyl methylpropional also known as lilial has been banned from use in multiple products due to its link with infertility. This ingredient can be seen in the ingredient list of Olaplex No.3 a known hair mask used to repair or help maintain dyed hair. This product has been used in many professional hair salons and was the product to have in your restroom since 2020. Although lilial is not an active ingredient needed, and is just a fragrance that was used in the hair mask by Olaplex No. 3 it still managed to spark a fear of the product on social media platforms. The Olaplex company has since removed the ingredient from the hair mask worldwide. 

 The FDA has not banned the use of Lilial in any products produced and dispersed in the United States, although research has shown that the use of Lilial in products can lead to infertility in animal studies that have been done. 

What is Lilial?

Lilial is one of the many fragrances used in many products we use at home. This chemical compound is known as butylphenyl methylpropional as I have said before the fragrance is used in cosmetic products and non cosmetic items. The chemical compound has been linked to infertility. This chemical compound has also been known to be an allergen in multiple products. It has led to the substance to be banned in all products in the European Union. This ban began in 2020 but was finally effective in 2022. The research for the chemical compound can be found on the research piece. Which was done back in 2019. https://ec.europa.eu/health/system/files/2021-08/sccs_o_213_0.pdf 

How to find Products without harmful ingredients

One of the many helpful websites that exist to help find clean products is an app called EWG. This app can rank any product from EWG certified which means it is a clean product to one to ten. Ten being the worst ranking a product can receive. This has been a personal lifesaver when looking for products to use from my skincare to my hair. The website and app are very easy to use and helpful to find any products that are clean. Celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashion have said she uses the website to check the products she uses. 

Social Media

I understand the scare that comes when someone on the internet begins to say throw out your products. Social media was the first place I found out about Lilial and how harmful it could be. However, it is very important to do research on the company and the ingredients ourselves. Such as how much of the chemical compound is being used in the product and if it was important for the product to work. As for Olaplex No. 3 very little was used and was not needed for the product to work. Olaplex No. 3 will continue to work without the use of Lilial as it was just a fragrance used.