When the hair-extension category was put under the microscope by Consumer Reports and the Silent Spring Institute, it was revealed that there were contaminants in the hair-extension samples tested. Results confirmed that almost every product tested contained lead, phthalates, and flame retardants, while all of them contained VOCs.
Rebundle braiding hair was among the dozen brands included in the Consumer Reports panel, so when the news sank in, we decided to take a step back and assess the situation.
Since the beginning, Rebundle has been all about providing a high-quality, clean product that is safe to use for our community. We had third-party clinical and microbiome testing conducted on the finished fiber, and we were not expecting any heavy metals or VOCs to appear anywhere in our supply chain.
To understand the origin of those chemical traces, we commissioned an independent analytical study to assess every step of our production process.
Today, we bring you the results. Just keep reading.
Why We Conducted Our Own Study
The reason we commissioned an independent study was to review the results of two recent investigations.
Consumer Reports was responsible for two studies. The one undertaken in 2025 involved 10 popular brands of synthetic hair. Results showed that lead was present in 9 out of 10 synthetic brands. In 2026, they conducted new tests on 30 synthetic, human, and plant-based hair products , revealing lead in braiding hair in 29 samples.
Silent Spring Institute published a peer-reviewed study in February 2026 in the American Chemical Society journal Environment & Health. They screened 43 hair-extension products and identified 48 chemicals of concern, including phthalates, flame retardants, pesticides, styrene, and organotins.
Our sense of responsibility urged us to dig deeper into braidbetter, understand the source of the contamination, and get it fixed. So, we decided to move forward and invest the time and money in lab fees to find out.
What We Screened For
During the independent research, we screened for thirteen specific compounds that were called out across the Consumer Reports and Silent Spring studies as the ones to look for:
chloromethyl octanoate, chloromethyl hexanoate, diethyl phthalate (DEP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dichloromethane, naphthalene, 2-butanone, 4-isopropyl toluene, acetone, benzene, carbon disulfide, chloroform, and lead.
There were two methods used in the independent lab tests:
- Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-MS/MS for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and phthalates
- Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for lead
The detection limit for each analyte was 0.001 ppm (parts per million), meaning that anything present would be identified. This was the same threshold used by Consumer Reports.
How We Prepared the Samples
The aim of this study was to identify where contamination occurred throughout the process, so the study's structure mattered just as much as the analyte list.
Rebundle submitted eight fiber samples to the lab, each isolating a different combination of the production stages braidbetter goes through.
In summary, the banana fiber first undergoes an initial chemical process to extract and soften the fiber. It is then colored through a reactive dye process and treated to give it the right texture and braidability. Lastly, conditioning is the final step before packaging the braidbetter product.
Samples 1 through 7 were assessed progressively according to the manufacturing process. The last one, “Sample 8,” our finished braidbetter product, had every stage applied.
By running the same panel of tests across all eight samples, we were able to identify exactly where, and if, any contamination was occurring in the process.
What the Testing Revealed
The result has two parts, and we want to show you both.
The finished product came back clean.
In our final braidbetter product, “Sample 8,” neither lead nor any of the ten VOCs on the panel was detected at the 0.001 ppm threshold. Every target contaminant identified in the Consumer Reports investigation was absent from the finished product.
The intermediate samples told a different story.
We learned that earlier in the process, before all the processing stages had been applied, traces of lead and a phthalate called DEHP were detected. Not in the final product, but at an earlier stage in the production process.
This suggests that the contaminants the Consumer Reports and Silent Spring studies flagged are not in the formulation, not in the raw banana fiber, and not in the final fiber you unbox at home. They appear somewhere in the intermediate stages and are not detectable by the time the product is finished.
What we believe is happening
Lead and DEHP are not ingredients in braidbetter. They are not part of the formulation or the ingredients, which means they do not come from the raw banana fiber.
However, there is something that happens during the process from when the “raw fiber” becomes our “finished product” that explains the intermediate detections. The most likely source is leaching from PVC-containing plastics used in early-stage processing and storage.
Considering that DEHP is a plasticizer widely used in PVC, known to migrate out under heat, acidity, oxidation, or prolonged contact, and that trace metals can travel the same way, we believe this could be the cause of the contamination in the production process.
We want to be honest about where this conclusion stands: the PVC attribution is still being verified through ongoing follow-up tests. It represents the most consistent explanation we have right now, so we are making changes to our process to determine whether it is true.
Silent Spring has also suggested that trace-level detections in this category can arise from manufacturing infrastructure and environmental background exposure, not just from a product’s formulation. This is also something to consider.
In the case of Rebundle hair, we do not need to look at our ingredient list, but rather at the equipment we are working with.
What we're changing
There are three actions we are taking to address the results.
Transition to inert materials
We’re working with our supply chain to transition from plastic to glass, stainless steel and aluminium, assessing each contact point in the manufacturing process, including replacing tanks, containers, and surfaces. Inert materials do not leach phthalates, and they do not absorb VOCs from the environment either.
Intermediate-stage QA testing
The next step for us will be to re-test samples at all intermediate stages once again, not only to verify the fix as it rolls out, but also to catch anything new long before it reaches a customer.
Ongoing third-party verification
Not only will we continue our ongoing third-party studies, but we will also incorporate the specific chemicals identified by Consumer Reports and the Silent Spring Institute and assess them across all production stages. This level of testing is a testament to our commitment to bringing our customers the highest-quality, cleanest product possible, without taking any risks.
"Our goal is not just to meet existing standards, but to help define better ones. Like many, I was surprised by the initial findings, as we carefully source our materials with a focus on safety and performance. We took immediate action and conducted a thorough internal investigation. Over the past several years, braidbetter has undergone continuous improvements as part of our commitment to quality, including ongoing formulation and process enhancements. We welcome scrutiny and will continue investing in the science, sourcing, and systems needed to deliver the highest-quality plant-based braiding hair on the market."
— Ciara Imani May, Founder
This is our pledge to you. For those wondering what's actually in your braiding hair, we recommend going through that pillar post, which talks about what to look for when a brand says “non-toxic” and what to walk away from.
For our full ingredient list, clinical testing, and certifications, visit the ReGen Hair Fiber technology page.
FAQs
Did Rebundle test positive for lead or VOCs?
The finished braidbetter product did not test positive for lead or VOCs. Independent third-party testing returned no detectable lead, no DEHP, no DEP, and no VOCs.
Lead and DEHP did show up in intermediate samples taken at earlier points in the production process. The most likely source is leaching from PVC-containing plastics used during processing. We have yet to verify this through further research.
What did the lab actually test for?
Thirteen compounds were tested: chloromethyl octanoate, chloromethyl hexanoate, diethyl phthalate (DEP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dichloromethane, naphthalene, 2-butanone, 4-isopropyl toluene, acetone, benzene, carbon disulfide, chloroform, and lead. These are the analytes flagged in the Consumer Reports and Silent Spring Institute investigations.
What detection limit was used?
0.001 ppm (parts per million) per compound. At that sensitivity level, any compound present in any meaningful amount is detected.
Where was the contamination coming from?
The most likely source is leaching from PVC plastics used at some stage of the production process or during storage. DEHP is a plasticizer commonly used in PVC, and it can migrate out of those materials under heat, acidity, oxidation, or prolonged contact. The same can happen with trace metals. The compound is not part of our product formulation. We are still verifying the exact mechanism through ongoing follow-up tests.
What is Rebundle changing?
We are taking three actions: first, we are working with our supply chain to transition every plastic contact point to inert materials like glass; second, we are adding intermediate-stage QA testing to our manufacturing process for continuous quality control, not just at the end; and third, we will continue third-party lab verification across production stages as the changes roll out.
Where can I read the original investigations?
The Consumer Reports follow-up is here. The Silent Spring Institute press release is here, and the peer-reviewed paper in Environment & Health is here.