FDA Moves to Ban Formaldehyde in Hair Straighteners Too Little, Too Late

The FDA’s anticipated proposal to ban formaldehyde in hair straighteners is being criticized for being insufficient and far too late. Formaldehyde has been recognized as a carcinogen for over a decade, yet it continues to be used in products heavily marketed to Black women. The growing body of evidence linking hair straighteners to various cancers, particularly hormone-driven types, underscores the urgency for more comprehensive regulations. NPR writes, “as many as 30 endocrine-disrupting chemicals” were found in a variety of products used by Black women and children. “Racist beauty standards have long compelled girls and women with kinky hair to straighten it. Between 84% and 95% of Black women in the U.S. have reported using relaxers, studies show.

Black women’s often frequent and lifelong application of chemical relaxers to their hair and scalp might explain why hormone-related cancers kill more Black women than white women per capita, Bertrand and other epidemiologists say.” The proposed ban is a step in the right direction, but broader regulatory action and bans of other hormone-disrupting chemicals are long overdue.

Source: NPR