Impact of Cosmetic Hairspray on Fabric Flammability

Hairspray is used in beauty salons and barbershops worldwide to create customized hairstyles. The chemicals in the hairspray are highly flammable and pose significant risks of burn injury to the staff and customers when the hairspray is exposed to hot objects such as hairdryers or curling irons. Hairspray contains various combinations of polymer-based adhesives, liquid solvents and propellant gases. During the application of hairspray, a significant amount of overspray can reach clothing, resulting in a thin layer of glue being deposited on the fabric. This research program aimed to identify changes in flammability for Silk, Cotton, Wool, Nylon and Polyester samples after exposure to hairspray. Such a study has not been reported in the scientific literature. 15 fabric samples were exposed to hairspray, and 15 fabric samples served as “controls”. All test samples were exposed to an equal amount of hairspray and allowed to dry for approximately 24-hours while an equal number of “control” samples remained unexposed. Maximum flame temperatures and total burn times were recorded. The results showed that maximum flame temperatures for Polyester increased by 140% while the burn times increased by 74%. Maximum flame temperatures for the Nylon samples increased by 178% while the burn times increased by 75%. However, the temperatures and burn-times for Silk, Cotton and Wool did not change. The application of differential scanning calorimetry and Raman Microspectroscopy indicates that differences in flammability between the natural and synthetic fibres were due to differences in the polarity and associated hydrophobicity of the fibres.