The Food and Drug Administration is proposing a ban on using formaldehyde as an ingredient in hair relaxers, a huge step in raising awareness about the potential harms such products create for the many Black women who typically use them.Â
The proposed rule would ban the chemical in hair-smoothing or hair-straightening products, also called relaxers. The FDA currently discourages consumers from using hair-straightening products that contain formaldehyde and similar ingredients, according to a fact sheet from the agency.Â
The FDA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas that’s used in a wide variety of household products, including medicines and cosmetics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s highly toxic, and repeated exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, lungs and throat. It is also linked to certain cancers, including myeloid leukemia, a cancer that occurs in the blood and bone marrow, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Even products that don’t contain formaldehyde as a main ingredient may contain other ingredients that, when heated, can be converted into formaldehyde, such as methylene glycol, which is found in some hair-straightening products. Some soaps, shampoos, lotions and cleaning products contain formalin, which is formaldehyde dissolved in water.
The current law doesn’t require the FDA to approve cosmetic products and ingredients before they go on the market — only color additives, according to the agency’s website. Companies and people selling products have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of their products, the agency says, but federal law and regulations don’t require companies to share their safety information with the FDA.
Research in recent years has helped raise awareness about the potential dangers of using chemical hair relaxers. A study published last year by the National Institutes of Health found that women who used…
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