Formaldehyde is a colorless gaseous compound (HCHO) that is known to be a carcinogen, which means it causes cancer. It is an allergen that can also irritate the eyes, mucous membranes (eyes, nose, and throat), and the upper respiratory system. It can also cause headaches, rashes, hives (blisters, whitening, and itching), dizziness, nausea, and chronic fatigue. Some other symptoms include: heart palpitations, ear infections, sleep disorders, memory loss, concentration disorders, depression, weakness, migraines, abdominal pain, joint and muscle pain, and shortness of breath. Many doctors can misdiagnose this as a form of stress / anxiety / depression. However, you can understand why this is possible when you understand that formaldehyde is used in many products, including the manufacture of fertilizers, dyes, embalming fluid, preservatives, and disinfectants. Of course, antihistamines won’t work for you here, even though your sense of smell may become overly sensitive. However, 1 in 5 people is sensitive to formaldehyde.

Detecting formaldehyde can be difficult, as it can appear under different names. However, it is important to read product labels and avoid not only formaldehyde itself, but also preservatives that release formaldehyde. One of the more common names for a preservative that releases formaldehyde is Quaternium-15. However, there are also many other alternative names.

Formaldehyde can be found in hundreds of products, including cosmetics, paper, wood, and clothing. Simply touching these products, or simply breathing in the formaldehyde they release into the air, can cause severe symptoms. Your best defense is to limit your exposure to this chemical.

You should know that formaldehyde is used in most clothing and textiles to prevent colors from bleeding, and finished products are often treated with more formaldehyde to prevent wrinkles. You should wash new clothes before wearing them to remove some of the chemical. If you want to avoid formaldehyde entirely, you will need to switch to a cotton wardrobe. You should also realize that washing your clothes with Tide, Cheer, etc. just add more chemicals to your clothes.

Nail polishes and hardeners often contain formaldehyde to improve their shine and adhesion. Formaldehyde is released into the air while nails are wet or dry.

Here are some other products that formaldehyde is commonly found in: over-the-counter medications, mouthwashes, hairspray, cosmetics, cleaning products, perfumes, waxes, hair lotions, shampoos, air fresheners, fungicides, nail polish. nails, floor polishes, dry cleaning solvents, toothpaste, laundry starch spray, and antiperspirants, just to name a few.

Now here’s an interesting fact about formaldehyde … Due to the increased toxic build-up in our bodies, including toxic build-up of formaldehyde, corpses don’t decompose as quickly as they used to. Bodies used to decompose in 4 days, but now they do not begin to decompose for at least 7 days after death. When talking about corpses, you should also keep in mind that it took twice as much formaldehyde to embalm a person 20 years ago compared to today.

As for Quaternium-15 … This chemical is commonly found in a variety of cosmetics including: foundations, powders, concealers, bronzers, makeup removers, blushes, eyeshadows, eyeliners, brow makeup, and masks (i.e. , Avon® Advanced (Moisture) Natural Finish Creme Powder Foundation and Max Factor® Quick Draw Magic Eyeliner Pen). Quaternium-15 is found in many cleansers, sunscreens (i.e., Banana Boat® tanning lotion and Physicians Formula® Sun Shield Oil-Free), moisturizers, creams, lotions (i.e., U-Lactin® lotion and Mary scented body lotion Kay® Angelfire), shampoos (i.e. baby shampoos like Johnson & Johnson® and Baby Magic®), soaps (i.e. Dove Beauty Bar), and other skin care products. It is also found in adhesives, paper, cardboard, inks, polishes, and latex paints.