Exclusive: The F.D.A Is Taking Major Action To Protect Against Harmful Chemicals In Hair Products

Jessica Washington
·2 min read
Confident African American woman reads the label on an over the counter medication.
Confident African American woman reads the label on an over the counter medication.
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Earlier this year, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Shontel Brown (D-OH) urged the Food and Drug Administration to provide answers about the safety of chemical relaxers. Now, the F.D.A is responding in a major way.

In a Root exclusive, The Congresswomen shared that the F.D.A is proposing a new ban on harmful chemicals found in chemical straighteners — including formaldehyde and other formaldehyde-releasing chemicals.

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“As a result of anti-Black hair sentiment, Black women have been unfairly subjected to scrutiny and forced to navigate the extreme politicization of hair,” wrote the Reps. in a letter shared with The Root. “Hence, generations of Black women have adapted by straightening hair in an attempt to achieve social and economic advancement. Manufacturers of chemical straighteners have gained enormous profits, but recent findings unveil potentially significant negative health consequences associated with these products.”

The rule isn’t in place yet, but it’s still an important step in addressing the serious concerns surrounding the safety of chemical relaxers, a product overwhelmingly marketed to Black women. A 2020 Harvard study found that harmful chemicals were present in 50 percent of hair products marketed to Black women, compared to just 7 percent of products marketed to non-Black women. And last year, a separate National Institute of Health Study found that frequent users of chemical straighteners (i.e., four or more times a year) were twice as likely to develop uterine cancer as people who did not use chemical relaxers.

“Regardless of how we wear our hair, we should be allowed to show up in the world without putting our health at risk,” said Pressley. “I applaud the F.D.A. for being responsive to our calls 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.”

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