The Food and Drug Administration has submitted a proposal to ban a dangerous chemical from being used in hair relaxers to make kinky to curly hair straight. The move comes months after two African American congresswomen brought the hazard to the agency’s attention, launching a preventative campaign they believe will save lives.
U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Shontel Brown initially reached out in March 2023 to the FDA to inform them that many relaxers on the market have the carcinogen called formaldehyde in their hair-straightening formulae.
The letter comes after the 2022 update on the FDA’s website where the agency talks about the dangers of some hair products, offering tips on how to stay safe and report problems or injury related to their use.
“Hair dye is used to color your hair. Hair relaxers are used to make your hair straight. Both hair dye and hair relaxers can hurt your skin, hair, and eyes, especially if you are not careful,” the blurb reads. “Some of these problems can be prevented. Get the facts before using hair dyes and hair relaxers.”
Also on their website is a section titled, “Formaldehyde in Hair Smoothing Products: What You Should Know.”
This section explains what the chemical does but also that it is “a known human carcinogen” and is “classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and formaldehyde exposure can cause both short- and long-term health effects.”
Still, it did not have it on the banned list.
In 2022, a Missouri woman named Jenny Mitchell initiated a lawsuit against L’Oréal USA and several other hair straightener manufacturers.
She alleged that their products, which she used since she was 18, contributed to her uterine cancer diagnosis, leading to a hysterectomy a decade later. Upon discovering her cancer during fertility treatment inquiries, Jenny sought legal assistance from Ben Crump and Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmermann, resulting in a mass tort lawsuit.
The elected officials called on the agency to take further action on behalf of millions like Mitchell. The congresswomen say since the outreach a proposal had been put forward to remove the chemical from the products.
“FDA responded to my letter with @RepShontelBrown by proposing a ban on harmful chemicals in hair relaxers. This is a win for public health — especially Black women disproportionately put at risk by these products as a result of systemic racism & anti-Black hair sentiment,” Pressley tweeted.
“Regardless of how we wear our hair, we should be allowed to show up in the world without putting our health at risk,” she continued, adding that she applauds “the FDA for being responsive” to her call to action and “advancing a rule that will help prevent manufacturers from making a profit at the expense of our health. The Administration should finalize this rule without delay.”
Pressley’s tweet received mixed reactions. A person with the handle @oshontheexp posted, “Agreed. Sisters have the option to go natural too. My wife has been natural for over 10 years.”
Others were uneasy with the reference to racism while others called out the number of harmful chemicals the FDA approves. @Zmanshere posted, “It’s crazy the amount of harmful chemicals the FDA had allowed in certain dosages for us to be exposed to! Congratulations on making this an issue and trying to change it.”
Brown’s office also took to the X platform to talk about the small victory that could have a long-lasting impact on Black women’s health.
The office said they needed the FDA to “provide answers about the safety of chemical relaxers,” and that after the correspondence in the spring, “The F.D.A is responding in a major way.”
She added, “On behalf of women, especially Black women across the country, I applaud the FDA’s new proposed rule banning formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals from hair straighteners… We must ensure the products American consumers buy and use are safe, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Administration to implement this proposed rule.”
Formaldehyde is not the only dangerous chemical in Black women’s hair products. A recent study, connected to the Bench to Community Initiative, honed in on paraben, another carcinogen found in the straighteners. The study says there is a direct link to the increase of cancer cells in Black women to the products.
