Does Olaplex cause infertility? Here's what you need to know about the trendy product

Does Olaplex cause infertility? Shoppers are smitten with the luxurious haircare line, and styles like the Olaplex bun have risen to social media fame. But should we be wary of the trendy brand? 

Olaplex No 3 reviews indicate massive hair transformation and promise repaired strands, yet a particular chemical has caused alarm amongst faithful fans. Butylphenyl methylpropional, which is referred to as lilial, is classified as a Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic (CMR) and was banned in the European Union as of 2020, though it has since been spotted on the product's label. 

Why are CMRs worrisome? According to Eurostat Statistics Explained, carcinogenic chemicals can lead to cancer, mutagenic chemicals can cause chemical mutations, and reprotoxic chemicals can damage reproductive systems. 

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Does Olaplex cause infertility?

Although lilial has been spotted on the bottles, Olaplex insists that since EU regulatory authority announced the phase-out of the chemical by March of 2022, the hair company ceased using the ingredient beginning January 2022. 

Chief Scientist, VP R&D + Regulatory at Olaplex, Lavinia Popescu, took to Facebook to share an update about the concerns. 

"At Olaplex, lilial was previously used in small amounts as a fragrance in N°.3 Hair Perfector. It is not an active or functional ingredient," Popescu said. "While this phase-out is limited to the EU and the US permits use of this ingredient, out of an abundance of caution we proactively removed lilial from our N°.3 Hair Perfector globally."

You can watch the video clip and view the message in its entirety below.

Other professionals have weighed in on the Olaplex scare with the hopes of easing tension. 

“There is minimal need for any concern if you’ve been using the existing Olaplex formula, this ingredient has been used in cosmetics and household care products for many years and the chances of the ingredient affecting fertility is extremely low," says Mehmet Göker, dermatology specialist at Vera Clinic.

Göker continues: "Olaplex are making the change as a precautionary measure, however, if you have any concerns with any products you should stop using them immediately and speak with a health professional."

Unsurprisingly, TikTok beauty hacks and videos were quick to spot this news, thus rumors of the product's discontinuation began circulating FYPs. Olaplex is not being discontinued, though it is unclear if shoppers will receive compensation for their bottles of No 3 that do contain lilial. 

If you have concerns, do speak to a haircare professional and explore the Olaplex Safety Data sheets. Visit the Olaplex contact page, should you want to reach out to the brand directly.