Updated (January 5, 2026): The future of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed ban on hair straightening products containing formaldehyde is currently uncertain after the organization made a slight deviation. self-imposed deadline Act in December 2025.
The proposal will be introduced in 2023; I paused several times This is because the use of formaldehyde (FA) and other chemicals that release formaldehyde, such as methylene glycol, in hair smoothing and straightening products such as chemical relaxers and keratin treatments will be effectively banned.
Under the Trump administration, the FDA announced: Latest risk assessment About the use of formaldehyde and how much exposure is safe. Environmental Working Group listed in press release These updated guidelines could “nearly double” the amount of formaldehyde. [currently] Despite a wealth of scientific evidence linking formaldehyde to cancer, it says it is “safe” to inhale.
FDA representative told CNN via email The ban is believed to still be in progress. “FDA’s proposed rule, ‘Use of Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde-Releasing Chemicals as Ingredients in Hair Smoothing or Hair Straightening Products,’ remains a priority for FDA,” an FDA spokesperson told the news outlet. “FDA may adjust the expected publication dates of this and other proposed regulations as appropriate.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just proposed banning hair straightening products containing formaldehyde after years of debate over the safety of the chemical.
The proposal would effectively ban the use of formaldehyde (FA) and other formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, such as methylene glycol, in hair smoothing and straightening products such as relaxers and keratin treatments. According to FDA proposal“The use of hair smoothing products containing FAs and FA-releasing chemicals is associated with short-term adverse health effects, such as sensitization reactions and breathing problems, and long-term adverse health effects, such as an increased risk of certain cancers.”
Relaxers and smoothing or straightening products are primarily used by Black women, putting them at higher risk for potential health issues. In October 2022, a study by the National Institutes of Health found that “women who used chemical hair straightening products had an increased risk of uterine cancer compared to women who did not report use of these products.”
For many experts, these findings aren’t all that surprising. “Hair products such as dyes and chemical straighteners contain a variety of chemicals that can act as carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. [molecules that mimic or mess with hormonal function]Therefore, it may be important for cancer risk,” said Dr. Alexandra White, an epidemiologist at the National Institute of Environmental Health and Safety. allure “Corrective products, in particular, have been found to contain chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, and cyclosiloxanes. [a type of silicone, used as a solvent, which have also been classified as endocrine disruptors],metal [like nickel and cobalt, which can at certain levels and in some compounds likely become carcinogenic] Heating may release formaldehyde. ”
Formaldehyde has long been a hot topic in the beauty world. When the Brazilian blowout smoothing process became popular in the late 2000s, warnings were issued for the use of formaldehyde, and the state of California required hazard warnings to be printed on packaging. According to new york times 2020 reportThe FDA wanted to ban Brazilian Blowout and related smoothing treatments as “unsafe” due to the presence of formaldehyde and methylene glycol, and began developing a proposed ban in 2016, but nothing materialized at the time.
Source: Allure – www.allure.com
