Flex Hold Styling Gel (2019 formulation)

These describe what an ingredient is, not whether it is a problem. The stance marks above are the ratings; these are not.

• common irritantPROPYLENE GLYCOL, DMDM HYDANTOIN

  • PROPYLENE GLYCOL: A solvent that shows up in patch-test clinics, more often as irritation than as allergy. American Contact Dermatitis Society, Allergen of the Year 2018 (Jacob SE, Scheman A, McGowan MA, Dermatitis 2018;29(1):3-5).
  • DMDM HYDANTOIN: A preservative the FDA lists as a formaldehyde releaser, which is why formaldehyde-reactive skin can notice it. How much reaches the skin depends on the whole formula, not on this name alone. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex V entry 33, permits DMDM hydantoin as a preservative up to 0,6%. The FDA names it among the "formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing ingredients" on its Allergens in Cosmetics page (content current 25 February 2022). SCCS Scientific Advice SCCS/1632/21, on the threshold for the "contains formaldehyde" warning, describes a study in which a moisturiser spiked to the 0,6% Annex V maximum released at least 40 ppm formaldehyde. Annex V preamble point 2, as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1181, requires the warning "releases formaldehyde" on any product whose total released formaldehyde exceeds 0,001% (10 ppm). That Regulation states the sensitisation ground itself, so the chain is drawn by the regulator and not by us: recital (2) names the class, "Certain of those preservatives are gradually releasing formaldehyde in order to fulfil a preserving function in the final cosmetic product (so called formaldehyde releasers)", and recital (3) gives the purpose of the warning, "In order to inform consumers sensitised to formaldehyde about the presence of formaldehyde that may trigger an allergic reaction". Recital (1) records that formaldehyde is classified a skin sensitizer (Category 1) in Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) 1272/2008.

• fragrance materialAMYL CINNAMAL, LIMONENE, HEXYL CINNAMAL, LINALOOL

  • AMYL CINNAMAL: A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 67: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.
  • LIMONENE: A citrus-smelling fragrance component named separately on the label; the one name covers three related isomers. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 88: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk. That entry carries transition footnote (37): stock that does not comply, lawfully placed on the Union market before the 31 July 2026 cut-off, may still be made available until 31 July 2028. It is marked on the racemic dl-limonene/Dipentene line and the (S)-(l-limonene) line, but NOT the (R)-p-mentha-1,8-diene (d-limonene) line, CAS 5989-27-5, whose duty was already running as entry 88 before Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 and so needed no transition. All three isomers are declared under the single glossary name "Limonene", so that name on a label does not identify which of them is present.
  • HEXYL CINNAMAL: A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 87: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.
  • LINALOOL: A floral fragrance component named separately on the label. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, Annex III entry 84: a fragrance substance whose presence must be indicated in the list of ingredients above 0,001% in leave-on and 0,01% in rinse-off products, because of established contact-allergy risk.

• undeclared fragrance blendFRAGRANCE

  • FRAGRANCE: A blend the label does not itemize, so what is in it cannot be read from the ingredient list. EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 permits the collective term "parfum"; the SCCS Opinion on Fragrance Allergens (SCCS/1459/11) reviews the contact-allergy evidence for the substances it can contain.

• humectantPANTHENOL

  • PANTHENOL: A provitamin B5 humectant used in products aimed at irritated and healing skin. On the humectant half: Ferreira VTP, Silva GC, Martin AA, Maia Campos PMBG, "Topical dexpanthenol effects on physiological parameters of the stratum corneum by Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy", Skin Res Technol 2023;29(9):e13317, DOI 10.1111/srt.13317, PMID 37753694, PMCID PMC10504581, open access, Introduction: "As a humectant, it has been shown to retain water more efficiently than other humectants during the last stages of dehydration..." On the soothing half, which that paper does NOT support: Cho YS, Kim HO, Woo SM, Lee DH, "Use of Dexpanthenol for Atopic Dermatitis—Benefits and Recommendations Based on Current Evidence", J Clin Med 2022;11(14):3943, DOI 10.3390/jcm11143943, PMID 35887707, open access, section 3.5: "To facilitate wound healing, dexpanthenol reduces inflammation, and promotes cell proliferation and epithelial remodeling."

• soothingPANTHENOL

  • PANTHENOL: A provitamin B5 humectant used in products aimed at irritated and healing skin. On the humectant half: Ferreira VTP, Silva GC, Martin AA, Maia Campos PMBG, "Topical dexpanthenol effects on physiological parameters of the stratum corneum by Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy", Skin Res Technol 2023;29(9):e13317, DOI 10.1111/srt.13317, PMID 37753694, PMCID PMC10504581, open access, Introduction: "As a humectant, it has been shown to retain water more efficiently than other humectants during the last stages of dehydration..." On the soothing half, which that paper does NOT support: Cho YS, Kim HO, Woo SM, Lee DH, "Use of Dexpanthenol for Atopic Dermatitis—Benefits and Recommendations Based on Current Evidence", J Clin Med 2022;11(14):3943, DOI 10.3390/jcm11143943, PMID 35887707, open access, section 3.5: "To facilitate wound healing, dexpanthenol reduces inflammation, and promotes cell proliferation and epithelial remodeling."