Five Products That Contain Formaldehyde: Is Your Health at Risk?

To the average consumer, formaldehyde may be best known as an embalming agent. But this naturally occurring chemical is a major industrial staple, used in many consumer goods, including cleaning products, cosmetics and building supplies.

Its presence in our everyday lives can have a huge health impact, warn experts. In 1987, the Environmental Protection Agency classified the chemical as a probable carcinogen after unusually high or prolonged exposure. Subsequent studies have linked formaldehyde to cancers like leukemia. As a result, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified formaldehyde as a human carcinogen.

For some of us, even low-level exposure can result in burning eyes, eczema and trouble breathing.