Canva
Written by Jillian Holness
In 2014, the National Research Council reviewed formaldehyde, a highly toxic gas, and classified it as a carcinogen in the National Toxicology Program. A decade later, the United States Food and Drug Administration proposed banning the chemical in hair relaxers in April 2024 but missed its deadline.
It’s unclear why the FDA’s proposed ban has been delayed. When pressed further, an FDA spokesperson told NPR that the proposed rule “continues to be a high priority, as they declined again to comment further about its timing or content.
The initial consideration came after increased research on the negative health effects of hair relaxers and straighteners that are heavily marketed to Black women.
What’s in our Hair Products?
Many popular relaxers are advertised as ‘no lye,’ meaning they don’t have sodium hydroxide, a chemical compound that causes the harsh scalp burn users may experience.
However, relaxers still aren’t in the clear.
Studies have shown that along with formaldehyde, other ingredients in relaxers including phthalates, parabens, and other endocrine-disrupting compounds have been linked to fibroids along with early puberty, gestational high blood pressure, and uterine cancer.
Relaxers aren’t the only cosmetics that are causing illnesses in Black women.
Epidomelogist Tamarra James-Todd wrote in a Harvard Public Health Study that about 50 percent of popular hair products advertised to Black Women contain endocrine disrupters while only about 7 percent of those advertised to white women.
Last year, more than 8,000 class action lawsuits were filed against popular beauty manufacturers L’oreal and Revlon with the plaintiffs stating they developed uterine cancer and other serious health issues after prolonged use of the beauty products.
The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit also stated the products are misbranded and don’t disclose the presence of dangerous chemicals.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics urges users to look out for the ingredients, DEP, DBP, DEHP, and fragrance when shopping for cosmetics and hair products.
Legislation
This public health issue has garnered attention from Democratic Reps—Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Shontel Brown of Ohio.
Pressley and Brown sent a joint letter to the FDA commissioner urging more regulation over hair relaxers marketed toward Black women.
“As a result of anti-Black hair sentiment, Black women have been unfairly subjected to scrutiny and forced to navigate the extreme politicization of hair,” the letter reads. Hence, generations of Black women have adapted by straightening hair to achieve social and economic advancement.”
Despite the continuous and growing amount of evidence of Black beauty products causing cancer and serious health issues, the FDA hasn’t released any recent updates.
However, Representative Brown said that she and Pressley have remained in contact with the FDA and are confident that officials understand the importance of finalizing this rule.
No one should get sick because of how they wear their hair, especially when that decision is weighted by centuries of racism and sexism,” Brown said.
“It’s tragic to think about the serious negative impact that these products have had on people’s lives and how it was preventable,” she added.
An FDA fact sheet currently advises against the use of hair straightening products.