Lilial is an ingredient you may have heard of before, for example in connection with Olaplex. Olaplex is mainly known for its effects, which work wonders for your hair. One of the ingredients in the older Olaplex formula can be harmful to health in large quantities. And this was not only true for Olaplex products. We looked into it for you.
What did Olaplex use Lilial for?
At Olaplex, it is not a matter of 'or', but 'and'. By this, they mean that this miracle product not only repairs, but also protects, adds shine to the hair and ensures vibrant locks.
Many people use Olaplex in their hair care, but some time ago the brand was in the news because of the use of a certain ingredient: the chemical name butylphenyl methylpropional.
Olaplex used this ingredient for the fragrance. So it is a fragrance substance, which provided the pleasant floral scent, also known as the lily-of-the-valley aroma. Olaplex was not the only one using it; it was a common ingredient in various personal care products.
What other products?
Besides Olaplex, there were a few other products that contained it. For example, Kremlon Ice Water. Because there was no replacement available at the time, this product was removed from the range.
What has changed?
On January 28, 2019, the Risk Assessment Committee of the European Chemicals Agency published a study stating that this substance is reprotoxic. This means that it can be harmful to health in large quantities, particularly to the fertility of the user and potentially to an unborn child. Therefore, since August 11, 2020, it has been classified as a category 1b reprotoxic substance. Since March 1, 2022, it has been banned in products. For Olaplex, there were plenty of reasons not to use it anymore; they stopped using it back in January 2022.
Despite Olaplex using the substance for the fragrance experience, it was never harmful to users. This is because it was usually used in small quantities, often a concentration of maximum 0.1%. For Olaplex, the concentration was only 0.0119%. And because it was only used for the fragrance, the effectiveness of Olaplex is not diminished by its removal.
Does your product still contain Lilial?
Want to know if your product still contains this? Then check if 'butylphenyl methylpropional' is listed in the ingredients. If it is no longer listed, you already have the latest version at home. At the time, it was only in Olaplex No. 2 and Olaplex No. 3.
Curious about the current, safe Olaplex formula? View the full Olaplex range at KOOS, or discover our other hair repair treatments right away.
