Recent research, including a new lawsuit against Relaxer companies, documents frightening amounts of formaldehyde and its releasers found in personal care products, with an emphasis on hair relaxers. That’s why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving. They have called for a national ban on dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde, which are in many hair straighteners. So far, this ban has not gone into effect.
Formaldehyde exposure has emerged as a serious health risk in recent years. Research found that 53% of study participants tested positive for at least one personal care product that included formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. These preservatives tend to have lengthy, foreign sounding names. They typically do not mention the word “formaldehyde,” which makes it difficult for consumers to identify them.
The most prevalent formaldehyde-releasing preservative in personal care products is DMDM hydantoin. Scientific studies found that up to 47% of skincare products tested contained formaldehyde releasing preservatives. Even more striking, 58% of hair products do too.
Since most consumers use these products every day or several times a week, they greatly increase the chances of exposure. Scientists reviewed the ingredient lists of over 1,100 products to see if they contained formaldehyde or its releasers. Their results showed almost ubiquitous contamination across a number of personal care products.
Experts have long argued for a tougher federal hand on how we’re using these chemicals. According to Dr. Robin Dodson, a researcher in this emerging field, the key is knowledge. She states, “They have long, weird, funny names, and they typically don’t have the word formaldehyde in them.” This complexity can further confuse consumers looking to avoid toxic substances.
This made it imperative to pass stricter legislation aimed at protecting consumers from false labeling, according to Janette Robinson Flint, executive director of Black Women for Wellness. “We’re trying to do the right thing. There should be greater government accountability. We should not need to be chemists to understand which types of products will poison us,” she added. Flint’s group goes a step further, calling on companies to remove all formaldehyde releasing preservatives from their products.
We applaud this increased attention and call for action, but without concrete action and enforcement, consumers remain exposed. Dodson and her research team want you to be able to stand up for safer legislation that would eliminate this harmful chemical from your personal care products. “Ideally, companies shouldn’t be putting these chemicals in products in the first place,” she stated.
“The consequences of long-term, cumulative exposure to these dangerous chemicals are serious and far-reaching. These chemicals are in products we use all the time, all over our bodies. Repeated exposures like these can add up and cause serious harm,” Dodson warned.
Conversations around health and safety are reaching a boiling point. Citizens are calling for a national formaldehyde ban and ban on releasers nationwide. The FDA’s proposed ban is a good first step, but without an enactment and stronger regulation, consumers are still left in danger.
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