Aerosol cans don’t have the best track record. Chlorofluorocarbons, which were once the preferred propellants for putting the 'spray' in 'hairspray,' chipped away at the ozone layer for decades before someone noticed and put an end to it; huffing remains a common (not to mention deadly) concern; and unemptied cans are still considered hazardous waste. But the most imminently dangerous public threat posed by aerosol cans — which also happens to be the reason you can't take them on an airplane — is the fact that, under the wrong circumstances, they explode.
At least six ipsy Glam Bag subscribers realized this the hard way when the Luseta Beauty Volume Reviving Dry Shampoo included in their April edition burst after being left in their cars. Prior to sending out the mailing, on April 13, ipsy issued an email to customers alerting them to the risk. “Like other aerosol products, this dry shampoo is flammable, so please exercise care: avoid fire, flame, or smoke during use, and protect from sunlight or heat,” the email read. A second email a few days later, on April 16, had the same message, with one notable addition: “DON’T PLACE YOUR GLAM BAG MAILER ON THE DASHBOARD OF YOUR CAR.”
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This past Friday, ipsy followed up to say that they were recommending that all recipients dispose of the dry shampoo: “We’re sending this follow-up message because we’ve learned that this product is more sensitive to heat than other aerosol products. We have received reports from six customers telling us of the Luseta product bursting in their cars." We've reached out to Luseta for comment and will keep you posted once we hear back.
Fortunately, as ipsy noted in the final email, there were no injuries, and there was nothing wrong with the product itself — rather, they believe that the aerosol packaging may have been defective, and therefore present an increased risk for traveling or exposure to heat (or “other unforeseen situation"). “In order [to dispose of the dry shampoo] safely, allow the can to cool to room temperature, and empty the contents of the can by spraying out all of the product before throwing it away.”
All customers who received the dry shampoo in their April Glam Bag will receive an additional (presumably non-flammable) item in their June mailer, but not before acknowledging that they’ve discarded the faulty can. As for the six people who experienced the explosion, well — we can only hope they’re not so traumatized they’ll never be able to look at a Glam Bag the same way again. They'd really be missing out.