10.17.23
According to a report from The New York Times, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a ban on hair-straightening products that contain or emit formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
Formaldehyde is a chemical that is used in a variety of products, including hair straightening and smoothing products. It is also used in embalming fluid and as a disinfectant. Exposure to formaldehyde can cause a variety of health problems, including irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; wheezing; and chest pain. Long-term exposure to formaldehyde has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, including uterine cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
The FDA's proposed rule would ban formaldehyde and other formaldehyde-releasing chemicals from hair-straightening and hair-smoothing products marketed in the United States. The target date for the ban is April 2024.
The proposed rule is also a victory for public health advocates. For years, advocates have been calling on the FDA to ban formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals from cosmetic products.
“The F.D.A. has known for decades now that these products are dangerous,’’ Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, told The New York Times. “There is no reason for them not to have acted sooner.”
Also, earlier this year, UK feminist group Level Up coordinated an open letter in which they called on L’Oréal to withdraw its hair straightening products after a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study linked it to an increased risk of cancer.
The proposed rule is a sign that the FDA is finally taking action to protect consumers from these dangerous chemicals.
Formaldehyde is a chemical that is used in a variety of products, including hair straightening and smoothing products. It is also used in embalming fluid and as a disinfectant. Exposure to formaldehyde can cause a variety of health problems, including irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; wheezing; and chest pain. Long-term exposure to formaldehyde has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, including uterine cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
The FDA's proposed rule would ban formaldehyde and other formaldehyde-releasing chemicals from hair-straightening and hair-smoothing products marketed in the United States. The target date for the ban is April 2024.
The Cosmetics Industry Becomes More Regulated
The proposed rule is a significant step forward in the regulation of the cosmetics industry. The industry has largely been unregulated for decades, until last year when Congress gave the FDA oversight authority through the passage of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA). This proposed rule would give the FDA the authority to regulate the use of formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals in cosmetic products.The proposed rule is also a victory for public health advocates. For years, advocates have been calling on the FDA to ban formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals from cosmetic products.
“The F.D.A. has known for decades now that these products are dangerous,’’ Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, told The New York Times. “There is no reason for them not to have acted sooner.”
Also, earlier this year, UK feminist group Level Up coordinated an open letter in which they called on L’Oréal to withdraw its hair straightening products after a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study linked it to an increased risk of cancer.
The proposed rule is a sign that the FDA is finally taking action to protect consumers from these dangerous chemicals.