The US Food and Drug Administration’s proposal to ban formaldehyde in haircare products has been pushed back once again, from July to September, and the timeline for its release remains undetermined.
Last October, the agency had said it was planning to propose a ban on formaldehyde and other formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in hair-smoothing or hair-straightening products, often called relaxers and mainly marketed to black women.
NBC News said removing the chemical from hair relaxers has been a long-standing goal for advocates, after numerous studies have linked it to certain cancers, including uterine cancer and blood cancer.
Some companies have responded by developing formaldehyde-free formulas or by clearly labelling products that contain the chemical.
While not all chemical hair relaxers include formaldehyde, many include components that, once heated, can release it, according to the FDA.
The FDA initially set a target date to publish its proposed ban in April, according to a document published in the Unified Agenda, a government website that provides information on regulations under development by federal agencies. The date was moved to July, and more recently, to September.
The target dates published in the Unified Agenda are only estimates, not firm deadlines, the agency has previously said. It’s possible the proposal might be released before September or further extended to another date.
Asked about the reason behind the delay, an FDA spokesperson said “the rule-making process takes time”.
After it publishes the proposed rule and reviews public comments, it might decide to either stop the process, propose a new version, or finalise the rule, allowing it to take effect.
Melanie Benesh, vice-president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, a consumer product advocacy group, said the FDA “has long been aware of the health hazards posed by formaldehyde”.
In 2011, the organisation petitioned the FDA to ban hair products with formaldehyde, and again in 2021. It also filed a Freedom of Information Act request for emails pertaining to a ban on the chemical, the results of which were published in The New York Times in 2020.
“We look forward to reading a new rule that will protect salon workers and consumers from exposure to formaldehyde in hair-straightening products,” Benesh said.
An FDA fact sheet currently advises against the use of hair-straightening products containing formaldehyde and related compounds.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Hair products contain dangerous amounts of formaldehyde
FDA’s plan to ban hair relaxer chemical ‘far too late’
Thousands of black women sue over cancer from hair products claims